Something to Save
by Korugane
Summary: "I'm not the answer to the questions you still have. The same part your life you've yet to live is the very same part I'm trying to forget". Eren is young and optimistic. But perhaps he can be his peace of mind. (Levi/Eren). (same universe as "My Pet")
1. Chapter 1

**This story is coupled in the same universe as "My Pet" which was my labor of love some years ago. This story is not necessarily a cross-over, but does contain Bleach characters occasionally. If you want to better understand this story, I highly suggest reading "My Pet" as it is a completed work that better explains many aspects of what happens in "Something to Save" although you don't have to read it to understand. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from Bleach or Attack on Titan**

chapter 1

Eren looked at his reflection. First day of a new college semester and he was living on campus. He turned his jaw, touching his skin. Weird. 19 doesn't look any older than he'd ever been. Maybe twenties would change his baby face.

He fished his phone out of his pocket, rolling his eyes at the three texts from Mikasa.

"Are you okay? Do you need help? Did you make sure to get sheets for the new bed?"

"Hey, are you sure you don't need help? Free because I finished early. Do you want to go eat something?"

"Who is your roommate? Is it a girl or boy? Hello?"

Eren huffed. She was so stifling. He gritted his teeth through a quick reply.

"I'm fine, I don't need help. I haven't met them yet," he threw his phone on the bed and laid on the floor. His first real taste of freedom. Mikasa ended up getting a room on the other end of the dorms. It was nice to finally be free of her.

His ears perked when he heard a key in the door click and swing open. He glanced up and saw a tall young man walk in.

"Jean?" Eren said in surprise. Jean stared at Eren with unblinking eyes.

"Seriously? All the people in this damn place and I got you as a roommate? Why couldn't I get Mikasa?" Jean groaned. Eren stood up and walked into the kitchenette for some milk.

"Hell if I know. You didn't have to follow her here", he said in a bored tone. Jean ran his long fingers down the side of his face. This was going to be the longest semester.

"Always follow the one you want, Eren. Only reason I don't feel threatened by you is your obvious...preferences." he mumbled, suddenly uncomfortable.

Eren wiggled his eyebrows at the tall man.

"That said, there will be boundaries" Jean extended. Eren laughed.

"You act like I'm interested. Believe me, Jean, I don't go around hitting on straight guys. What a waste of time. I don't like to be turned down any more than the next guy", he sulked. "That and you're an asshole, so..." He trailed off. Jean shouldered off the comment.

Eren glanced at the clock, squinting slightly.

"It's nearly noon. Wanna get lunch?" Eren asked. Jean looked at his own unpacked luggage. It would take him a while to sort through everything.

"Yea...let's get out of here", he gave in. Eren snapped his fingers and grabbed his phone, nearly jumping out the door. He held it for his highschool friend.

"Where to?" He piped quickly. Jean looked at his phone, "Uhh...there's a cafe right by campus. Or a couple restraunts", he suggested. Eren smiled.

"A café. It'll be like a real date," he chuckled. Jean narrowed his eyes.

"Remember the boundaries," he growled. Eren huffed, his face looking up at the sky.

"Fine. Just a boring old outing between two chums", he groaned. Jean punched him lightly in the arm.

They talked about nothing in particular on their way. Although Jean wasn't Erens favorite person, he was probably the best person to room with. He didn't party. He studied. He wasn't distracting. He was absolutely no fun whatsoever. Eren had a difficult time staying focused. So Jean might actually keep him on track.

Since they were in highschool Jean had followed Mikasa everywhere. Which in turn meant he followed Eren everywhere by the transitive property of Mikasa being a hovering psychopath.

Jean was nice. He was also butthurt about everything Eren did. But they had known each other for years. So Eren really had nothing against the guy.

The café came up quicker than Eren expected. It really was close. It was modern and clean. The boys noticed it looked fairly new. They walked in and scanned the menu. Letters written in chalk were scribbled all over the blackboard in a multitude of colors.

"Do I actually want to eat something?" Jean asked himself. Eren looked down to his flat stomach. It had been growling all morning.

"I'm eating. Go ahead and order, I'll treat," he offered. Jean glared, reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet.

"Are you saying that because you want me to feel bad and pay for both of us or are you disrespecting your boundaries again?" He asked with unblinking eyes. Eren grabbed his own wallet and swatted Jean's hand.

"Not everything is a contest and not everyone wants you, man", he said matter-of-factly. Jean shrugged.

"Alright then. Double espresso and a crescent roll. I'll get the table", he turned away. Eren smiled. He hadn't spent much time alone with Jean to really catch his personality. So annoying.

He walked up to the counter with his card. Someone else was in line ahead of him. He was a tad shorter with jet black hair. A crisp scent of a definite "freshly showered" aroma wafted behind him. Eren blinked.

The man before him ordered and turned. He walked to a table at the far end of the café with a black coffee and a book. He sat silently. Eren couldn't help but follow him with his eyes. The dark man seems entirely distant and unapproachable. So mysterious.

"Sir? Excuse me".

Eren snapped his head to the barista. She looked as though she were trying to hide impatience.

"Oh, sorry. A double Espresso and...umm..."

He glanced back over to the man.

"He ordered a black coffee. Is that what you want?" She asked, getting irritated. Eren shook the thoughts away.

"Sorry, no, umm, double espresso and a crescent roll please", he spat out finally. The girl nodded and a hand rested heavily on Eren's shoulder, making him jump.

"Aren't you getting anything?" Jean asked. Eren smacked his own face.

"Umm...miss? I'm sorry, that's not my order - I mean that's not everything", he stammered. She waited behind the register, tapping her fingers. Jean raised an eyebrow.

"Having trouble?" He asked. Eren looked again to the man who was now deep into his book. His eyes downcast and dark in color. His slender fingers held the cup to his thin lips.

"Black...coffee..." He mumbled.

"Okay then", the barista said quickly. She punched a few keys in her register and nearly snatches Eren's card. He came back to attention as his order was shoved into his hands. Jean pulled him aside as the next person stepped up in line.

"What's gotten into you?" He asked quietly, guiding them to their seats. Eren gripped Jean's jacket sleeve.

"Do you see that guy over there?" Eren whispered, pointing with his eyes. Jean followed his gaze for a moment before looking back.

"Uhh...yea." he said slowly. "Do you know him or something?" He asked. Eren's face turned a bit red.

"God, I want to", he breathed. Jean shot the man another quick glance.

"What? No, Eren, that guy looks terrifying", he whispered, grabbing his drink. "Anyway I thought you were hungry", he said, picking through the sugar packets. Eren looked at Jean like it was the first time seeing him. "Huh, yea, I guess I forgot," he mindlessly sipped the coffee he's ordered and his face twisted into disgust.

"Eww...I hate this," he gulped, sliding the offending drink away. Jean gawked at him.

"Then...why did you order it?" He asked. As if waking from a trance, Eren leaned in, suddenly enthusiastic.

"Do you think he's gay?" He asked. Jean choked on his sip of espresso.

"I have no idea, Eren, why don't you ask?"

Eren sighed. "You don't just ask a random guy if he's gay, some take offense", he rested his chin in his palm.

"Well, I guess you'll never know then", he said, taking another sip. Eren bounced his knee up and down for a moment. He smacked his hand to the table and stood abruptly. Jean shook his head.

"Your funeral", he commented.

"I'm just gonna say hello", he said quickly, walking with purpose. As he approached he started getting more and more anxious. The closer he got, the more nervous he became. This guy more or less vibrated "don't talk to me".

He stood shakily in front of him. The man before him didn't even lift his eyes from his book.

"E-excuse me? What is it you're reading?". He stammered. For the first time, the stranger's gaze loomed up from his book and met Eren's. They were dark, brooding eyes.

He flipped the book over, as if confirming the name and then resumed reading.

"Tale of Two Cities", he said softly. His voice was much deeper than Eren expected. "Charles Dickens", he elaborated. Eren sat at the other end of the table. Perhaps he had a nibble?

"That's pretty cool, how is it?" He asked. The other man took a long breath, as if annoyed.

"Riveting", he hinted. Eren felt his face flush.

"I'm really sorry to bother you. I don't normally do this, and I see you're busy, so I'll make it quick. I swear I'm not assuming anything, but would it be alright if I took you out for coffee sometime?"

Once again, the man's eyes rose up from his book. This time, he didn't seem so irritated.

"I'm out for coffee right now", he noted. Eren smiled nervously.

"Yea, well, I mean like...later. Not right at this moment", he smiled. "My name is Eren", he said, crossing his arms over the table.

The other man placed his book down on the table. He took a napkin and pulled a pen from his shirt pocket, scribbling something onto it. He slid it over to him.

Levi. Here's my number. Go away", he said softly. Eren grabbed the napkin with a smirk and walked back to his table elated.

Jean watched him anxiously and stood, having finished his drink and snack.

"Gotta go, gonna pass out", Eren said too happily. They left the café and the entire way back, Eren stared, wide eyed at the napkin. His handwriting was so...fancy.

"Levi..." He said out loud.

"He seemed like he didn't really want to talk to you. Are you sure that's even a real number?" Jean asked. Eren pondered for a moment.

"I don't know. But when I got up close, he looked older than I thought before. Like, maybe mid twenties? I probably don't have a chance. But it was nice to hear his voice...he smelled good too..."

Jean shook his head. He realized then that he'd have to be pretty damn comfortable with Eren's sexuality now because he foresaw conversations like this being the norm.

000

The next day, Eren prepped himself for class number one of the day. It was a math class that he happened to share with both Mikasa and Jean. Just couldn't get away from them. He met them at the door of the classroom ten minutes early for class, though he was sure they had both arrived quite a bit earlier. Mikasa saw Eren approaching and instantly started fussing over him.

"Did you eat this morning? I brought extra food just in case", she said as she walked closely next to him. Jean was practically drooling over her as usual.

"No, damnit, I'm fine. Quit doing that, I can take care of myself", he chastised. Totally unaffected by his refusal and attitude, she stayed close to him and all three entered the room.

Eren knew this would be the most difficult class of his day. Math was not his strength in any way. He was a pretty abysmal student all around but he was extra stupid in math.

The entire class filed in quietly and took their seats. Mikasa chatted with Jean in a hushed voice until a man walked in, taking a seat behind the teacher's desk. Eren did a double take and instantly covered his face in his hands. Jean arched an eyebrow

"What's the matter, Eren?" He asked before looking up and seeing it himself. His eyes widened and a groan rolled out of his mouth.

"Good morning. My name is Levi Ackerman. I will be your instructor for the semester. My email is written on the board. Please copy it down. You will have questions and I will answer them by email. Your assignments are written on the board. Please copy them down and begin. I'll go over the next set of instructions momentarily."

Eren lifted his head from his hands. His face was red hot.

"Oh, shit", Jean said softly. "You're in so much trouble."

PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW! I NEED TO KNOW WHAT WORKS SO I CAN CONTINUE TO PROVIDE CONTENT YOU ENJOY! MUCH LOVES!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The class was majorly quiet and a bit awkward. Eren buried his nose in his book, confusing though it may have been, to attempt in every way to avoid the gaze of Levi Ackerman. To his horror the room quietly hummed with excited whisperings of girls who were all too thrilled to have such a handsome teacher. Although it appeared he interacted as little as possible with everyone.

Mikasa nudged Eren and pointed to his blank worksheet. There was no way he was going to be able to focus. The subject was alien to him as it was without the added tension.

He slid the book down to glance at his worksheet. Almost immediately a sharp voice cut through the silence.

"Eren Yeager", Levi said loudly. Instinctively Eren shot up in his chair, hitting his thigh painfully on the desk.

"Yes!" He nearly shouted. There was a long, painful pause. Everyone stared at Eren for the entire moment.

"See me after class", Levi said finally. Eren sat back down, his head bowed to the desk.

"Yes sir..." He groaned. He felt mortified.

The remainder of class, Eren didn't move at all. No matter how many pokes or prods he received from Mikasa, he refused to move. By the end of class, everyone exited in an orderly fashion. Mikasa and Jean waited outside as Eren made the embarrassing trek to the teacher's desk.

Levi remained silent for some time once Eren reached the desk. His hands were busy shifting through papers, his hard, grey eyes scanned the words and numbers. Eren became a bit restless, shaking his knee uncomfortably.

"Umm...yes?" He tried. He wanted to run out of the room so badly.

Levi looked up only with his eyes for a quick moment.

"Sleeping in my class, Mr. Yeager?" He jabbed the moment his mouth opened. Eren's eyes widened.

"What? No I-"

"And your worksheet is blank. I went over your prerequisite exam and am frankly concerned you don't even know basic math, let alone advanced algebra", he continued. Eren blinked for a moment. Something wasn't connecting.

"Wait...do you remember me?" He asked. Levi shuffled through his papers again, looking at Eren in the face. There was absolutely no spark of recognition or even a dull twinkle of familiarity.

"Should I?" He asked. Eren felt a mix of relief and a pang of hurt. He must not make much of an impression.

"Regardless, I highly recommend you find yourself a tutor. I can help through email, but with your level of ignorance, I'm afraid that may not suffice", he said more forcefully.

"Okay, ouch", Eren thought to himself. This guy doesn't hold back.

"Just get your shit together, Eren. Might I suggest the young lady who sat next to you today to help. She tested out of this class and I have no idea why she's taking it. She belongs in my advanced calculus class", he said while standing.

Eren shuddered at the idea of being tutored by his adopted sister. He'd rather listen to Jean lecture him all day about not knowing anything. At least he might give up after a while. Mikasa would be unrelenting.

"I'll...try and find someone, sir", he said, rubbing the back of his neck. As he lifted his hand, a napkin fell from his jacket pocket and landed perfectly and frighteningly in front of Levi. There was absolutely no denying it now.

"Oh...right. You", he muttered. Eren felt his literal soul get sucked out of his body. The fact that he'd been so easily forgotten was bad enough. But such dissapproval upon being remembered was arguably worse.

"I was going to throw it away. I mean, if you want me to", he mumbled. Levi stood up, gathering a stack of papers and walking around the desk.

"Do what you want with it. If I were you I'd be less worried about picking up strange men and more worried about the money spent on this class", he said before departing the classroom. Eren sighed, rubbing his temples.

He attempted with everything he had to ignore Mikasa as he left the room. Pelting him with question after question about whether or not he was in trouble or needed help. After he ignored her long enough, she eventually left him alone. He honestly just wanted to curl up and die. He went back to his dorm and fell heavily on his bed.

000

Zoe Hanji walked gleefully from her classroom to the teachers lounge. She was immensely excited to have a plethora of new, fresh faced kids to pack knowledge into. She would fill their eager little brains with scientific mumbo jumbo until they begged for mercy.

She chuckled to herself as she threw the lounge door open. As she stepped inside, Levi glanced up at her from the counter, coffee brewing slowly and emitting a lovely smell into the room.

"Morning sour face. What's crawled up your ass this fine day?" She patronized. Levi rolled his eyes and wiped the counter for what had to be the hundredth time.

"Some kid asked me out yesterday. I gave him my number to appease him and now it turns out he's not only in my class but likely the most mathematically challenged student I've ever seen", he said, carefully removing the fresh cup from the hot machine. He brought it to his mouth and breathed in the soothing scent.

"Is he cute?" She asked, pulling a bottle of water from the fridge.

"Irrelevant", was his simple answer. Hanji shook her head wildly.

"Wrong! Don't you see the possibilities!? If he's cute you could take him under your wing and sexually torment him until he passes his tests. Have you ever seen a strip tease pop quiz? Wouldn't that be interesting?" She laughed.

Levi sighed. "Don't make fun of me Hanji", he said angrily. Zoe took a long chug of her water.

"Oh, please. You need something to loosen up your shoes. Screw your head on right, mayhaps even grow your heart a couple sizes?" She suggested. Levi arched an eyebrow.

"What are you talking about?" He questioned, completely lost.

"I'm saying you're a fucking Grinch. Why don't you find a nice lady or man or whatever and get all loosey- goosey! Get drunk, make bad choices!"

Levi turned around and briskly walked away, not turning his head as Hanji unleashed another slew of bad advice at his departing figure.

000

Eren stared up at the ceiling. Who the hell was this guy to talk to him like that? What kind of a teacher berated his students? He knew he wasn't good, but it was his damn job to teach him!

Eren shot up in bed and snatched his phone from his nightstand. He ripped the napkin out of his pocket and dialed the number into it. Just for good measure, he filed it under the name "Dickhead" and threw the phone across his bed. Feeling slightly better about himself, he stood up, and marched angrily to the fridge. Swinging it open, he peered into the blank shelves. Empty. Makes sense, he hadn't done any shopping yet.

Grunting, he stood up and grabbed his phone again, staring angrily at the bright screen.

"Maybe I'll tell him he's a prick and he'll have to remove the stick in his ass if he ever wants any man", he growled. After he said it, he felt deflated right away.

"Yea, idiot, that's a great idea", he whispered. He rubbed his stinging eyes and stood up.

"Guess I might as well get some food", he decided. He was just about to open the door when it opened on its own, slamming into the side of his face.

"SHIT!" came a voice behind the door. Eren cupped his cheek as throbbing pain shot through him.

"Eren, why the hell were you right behind the door?!" Jean shouted, leaning over him.

"I was about to leave, and why the hell are YOU yelling at me?! I'm the one with a broken face, asshole!" He shouted back.

"Maybe you needed to get some sense knocked into you, you probably deserved it!"

"What's your problem?! Mikasa turn you down again or are you on your period, Horse face?!"

Jean grabbed Eren by his collar. Eren followed suit and grabbed Jean as well. They glared angrily at each other before Jean's face went from angry to terrified. He let go of Eren and backed up just in time for a fist to slam into the side of his face. He fell over hard and Eren turned and watched a fist hover closer to him as well, smashing into his jaw. He fell beside Jean and clutched his mouth.

"He started it!" Eren shouted as Mikasa rubbed her knuckles.

"It doesn't matter, Eren. Do you want to get kicked out of school for starting fights?" She lectured. Jean was quiet and defeated. Eren stood up, angrily.

"You're the only one throwing punches, damnit!"

"Is there a problem here?" Came a booming voice. All three of them turned as a tall blonde man casually walked towards them.

Mikasa stood close to Eren, tapping his side.

"Before you say anything", she whispered harshly, "that's the President of the university. Don't be stupid," she warned. Both boys stood tall, Jean still rubbed his face.

"Everything alright boys?" He asked, his eyes harsh, but a smile on his face, as if to attempt to put them at ease. It didn't work.

"Sir!" Jean piped up quickly", everything is fine!" He said loudly. The tall man smirked.

"Trost University has a no-nonsense policy on violence on and off campus. I'm sure you understand how unfortunate it would be if two students were penalized on the very first day of the semester for such a thing", he said calmly. Eren nodded his head.

"I'm sorry, Sir. It won't happen again", he assured. Jean and Mikasa nodded in agreement.

"My name is Erwen, boys. Next time there's a dispute, might I suggest you call me or another member of my faculty before you think to fight. We can solve problems civilly. Might I also suggest the two of you find an extra curricular activity to fill your time and give you an outlet for all your young, pent up aggression? It would be very wise indeed", he said as he walked away. His tall body was stiff and ridgid as he walked down the hall. Students straightened themselves the instant they noticed him.

Eren huffed and shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Where are you going?" Jean called out, still nursing his face.

"I'm going-" he shouted at first, but then quieted down", grocery shopping," he mumbled.

000

His mind was in a blur the entire time he walked the isles of the store. He plucked random things from shelves.

"Can't afford this, so in it goes", he mumbled angrily.

While waiting in line, he noticed couples all around him. A gay couple directly behind him were making him slightly jealous.

"Can I have a grape?" One asked.

"No, they are priced by weight and you know you'll eat a bunch if I let you", the other man said in a deep tone.

"Can I have a peach?"

"They are in a can"

"Can I-"

"Could you just wait till we get home and stop being five years old?"

Eren sighed. He glanced behind him, curiously. They were a handsome couple. Both tall, though one was huge and heavily tattooed.

"Never let me do anything", the larger one moaned.

Eren chuckled. He wished he could have that life. Just be done with school already and find someone who would ask him for grapes at the grocery store.

He paid for his food and stepped out of line.

"Excuse me!" He heard behind him. Eren turned around. The big guy came up to him and handed him a card.

"You left this on the counter", he smiled. Eren noticed then just how utterly attractive the guy was. He nervously took the card and the man ran back to his other half, kissing him on the forehead.

"Renji, bag them up, please," the other man said.

"On it!"

Eren smiled and left the store. At least now he could eat his feelings.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Eren sat at his desk, staring at the paper in front of him. His mind drew an absolute blank. He clicked through his laptop, trying to figure out what he was supposed to be doing. He felt a finger gently poke him in the side. Mikasa pushed her paper next to him, trying to show him how she did the problems. All he saw were letters mixed with numbers and he was stumped.

A dark figure loomed over his desk and sighed, noting the lack of work. Eren didn't make eye contact. Levi bent down close, his voice a whisper.

"See me again after class", he said quietly. His tone didn't seem angry or sharp this time. Eren nodded. He attempted (unsuccessfully) to shake off the chills he got from Levi getting so close. Just as before, he smelled so clean. He didn't seem to bother with cologne or other masculine scents. It was simple...and fresh.

Eren rubbed his temples. Class dragged on for what seemed like hours. The only thing that got him through was the occasional rhythmic droll of Levi's deep voice. The man likely hated him. But he couldn't bring himself to even dislike Levi. As angry as he was the day before, he felt it had all gone away with the morning. Though it was replaced with a crushing feeling of inadequacy.

"Since I won't be seeing you until next week, I would like to remind you all that I am available by email. I'll reply every day within an hour or so if possible. Have a good weekend", Levi said, sitting at his desk and picking up a few papers.

Everyone filed out, as they had last time. Mikasa patted Eren on the shoulder and left for her next class. Jean followed her out before going his own way as well.

Eren picked up his things and approached Levi's desk. This time seemed oddly different. He wasn't radiating anger or aloofness. The sun shined in on his desk as the curtains were open as wide as they could be. Eren stood, waiting patiently. Levi took a breath, standing.

"Have you found someone yet?" He asked softly. Eren was taken aback.

"Found...someone?"

"To tutor you?" He clarified. Eren nodded, then quickly shook his head.

"Oh, no, actually. In honesty, sir, I don't really know anyone and that girl is my sister and she's ..well she wouldn't be a good tutor for me", he admitted.

Levi stood and bent down to his computer, typing something.

"And who would?" He asked.

Eren inwardly sighed. Who could possibly teach him? Before he could open his mouth, President Erwen opened the door and heavily stepped in the room. His clothes were pressed perfectly and his face was intensely professional.

"Please excuse the interruption, Mr. Ackerman. I was checking your student scores and noticed you had a few stragglers, well, one in particular. I need to know what you've done to help this student", he said clearly. Eren felt his stomach drop. It was painful just how obvious this conversation was about him.

"I've suggested a tutor and have spoken to the student repeatedly. I'm sure he will figure out-"

Erwen put his hand in the air.

"I will not allow a student to go unhelped. I understand the level of effort you've made for your students has increased in the last few years and I do appreciate the work. However, every effort must be made, so I need you to pay special attention to this student. Tutor him yourself if you must", he said. Eren's eyes widened with fear as he was stabbed in the heart by Levi's instant glare.

"I'm afraid I don't have time to do that, Erwen. I have several classes, all with struggling students. Math is hard, I can't personally tutor them in my off time", he argued. Erwen gave Levi a confused look.

"Interesting. What exactly do you have to do that takes up your free time?" He asked. Levi began to fume. Eren was both terrified and slightly interested. He was only indirectly making Levi angry, so he was just barely safe enough to let this play out and see what happened.

"Well, there's living my life, but I suppose that doesn't matter", he flippantly responded. Erwen, to Eren's amused horror, simply laughed.

"This is your life, Ackerman. I expect this student to have at least a 65% in the next three weeks. Figure out how to make that happen", he said, crossing the room and closing the door behind him.

Eren was at a loss. Should he run? Should he drop the class? Should he fly to Mexico?

He glanced up to peek at Levi whose face was murderous.

"Mexico it is", he said out loud, quickly turning around. The icy cold claws of death gripped his shoulder and Levi loomed behind him like an ominous storm cloud.

"You will learn this. You will get it and pass this class. I don't care what you have to do. You will go to my house. You will NOT touch anything but a number two pencil and a math book", he hissed. Eren saw his life flashing before his eyes.

"You will get it. And you will get it in a week. Am I perfectly clear?" He asked darkly. Eren nodded, terrified.

Levi practically shoved him out the door and slammed it shut. Eren stared, stunned at the door.

"That just...happened", he thought. He turned and his face was smothered by an unmoving wall with a shirt. He jumped back, realizing President Erwen was standing directly in front of, practically on top of, him and looking at the closed door as well.

"So, you're the student who needs help. I hope things work out for you", he said with a straight face.

"Sir...with all due respect, I think you just signed my death warrant", he shivered. Erwen looked down at him, his blue eyes dancing with excitement.

"Don't you see, young man? You're about to get the help you need! You have no limits to your knowledge and I've personally assisted in your successful future. I've seen scores like yours before and Levi is likely the only one who can make sure you pass. Don't you want to succeed in life?" He asked.

"I'd like to live to next week, actually!" Eren said loudly. Erwen laughed heartily.

"Yes, don't we all. Have a good lunch, young man. Make good choices", he said happily, walking away.

"Off his rocker..." Eren thought aloud.

000

That night, Eren stared at his phone. He needed to know his address. This was how he would get it. He needed to text Levi...

His fingers wouldn't move. He thought about just asking Mikasa. But then...to go to his house...to see how he lived...the temptation was almost unbearable.

"I don't know why you like this guy", Jean cut into his thoughts.

"Huh?" Eren questioned.

Jean tossed a chip in his mouth, working on his own homework. He erased something and brushed it off his paper.

"I mean, he's a nutcase. He's freakishly clean, if you haven't noticed. He is probably the most terrifying teacher I've ever had. He always looks like someone murdered his pet. What do you see in him?" He asked. Eren hadn't even thought about it.

"Doesn't matter. He hates my guts", Eren sighed. He finally picked up his phone and scrolled to his contact.

"Mr. Ackerman. This is Eren. I need your address and what time you'd like me to come over tomorrow. Sorry for the intrusion".

He clicked send and dropped his phone heavily into the bed and closed his eyes. A ping was heard almost immediately. He looked at his phone, hoping the text was at least professional and not a curse on his very soul.

"Eren, I'll email you my address. Don't give it to anyone. Come at 7am."

Eren stared at the message.

"7am as in...the morning?!"

"Awfully impudent of you to assume you were allowed to complain about anything related to this. Please do not message me again. See you at 7. Exactly 7. Since you've never been here, I suggest you leave early."

Eren sighed. He groaned and stood up from bed. His phone then started ringing in his hand.

"Please, God, do not be him," he prayed.

"Mom"

Eren felt his face soften. He picked up the phone and walked into the bathroom.

"Hey, Mom", he said softly into the phone.

"Hey, sweetie! I thought I'd give you a call before you went to bed", she said kindly.

"It's only eight thirty, mom", he said. On the other end of the line, Eren listened to his mother babble on and on about what was going on at home. Although she was less than fifty miles away, he still missed her. He especially missed her now.

"Is everything going okay at school? Did you make any new friends?" She asked, truly interested. Eren sighed.

"Yea, Mom. Making lots of friends. I even found a math tutor", he chuckled to himself.

"I know some classes are hard, honey. But your teachers are there to help you. And I'm just a phonecall away", she said. Eren could hear her smile.

"Thanks Mom. Love you", he said. He hung up the phone and looked at himself in the mirror. He looked as tired as he felt. He'd gotten the work from his other classes done already. But as always, he had nothing to show for his algebra.

"Mexico probably isn't so bad. Maybe a little hot..."

"What are you talking about?" Jean piped up from his table. Eren shook his head.

"Just making plans for my future."

000

Eren stared at the house. This was it. His coffin. Maybe it wasn't too late to tell his family goodbye and that he loved them. He hadn't slept at all last night, so in the end, waking up was easy if you never slept.

He held the peace offering in his hand. Black coffee. Maybe it would give him time. Maybe he'd already had some. Either way, it was exactly seven...

He tapped his knuckles on the door and released the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. The door opened and Levi appeared at the door. His casual clothes threw him off a bit. A grey sweater that was just slightly too big, but tight fitting jeans hugged his legs.

"I'm impressed, Yeager. Exactly seven. Thought I'd need to punish you before we got started", he joked. Or, Eren hoped it was a joke.

"I got you this..." Eren said softly, presenting the coffee. Levi looked almost confused.

"Oh...thank you", he said. Eren thought it might have been less awkward if he'd refused it.

He removed the plastic lid and smelled it, looking almost like he was in heaven. It was the most peaceful Eren had ever seen him. His heart skipped a beat.

He had to know that Levi. The happy, at peace Levi. He knew it was there, he'd seen it before his eyes.

The older man stepped inside and left the door open, allowing Eren to follow.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Eren's knees bounced up and down nervously. Why this way? Why did this have to be the way he ended up here? He looked around the dining room in Levi's house. Everything...absolutely everything was spotless. The walls were perfectly white. The floor had been scrubbed within an inch of it's life, there wasn't a molacule of dust to be found. Eren felt his very presence was too dirty to be here.

Levi poured the coffee from the paper cup into ceramic and sat down next to him. He looked comfortable and at home. The office attire he wore at the University didn't suit him.

"Drink?" He asked. Eren shook his head quickly. He'd already sat down, there was no way he was making him get up again. Besides...he was so close...

"Alright, why don't you tell me what specifically you are struggling with", he said, bringing his cup to his lips. Eren pulled out his textbook and the classwork he still hasn't accomplished.

"So...let's go ahead and say...all of it", he mumbled. Levi blinked.

"You need help with...all of it?" He repeated. Eren scratched his head in frustration.

"I'm sorry. But yes. I don't understand a damn thing", he admitted. Levi sighed. He leaned over to him, shifting through the papers. God, he smelled amazing. Eren mentally beat himself. He had to focus.

The day went surprisingly well. One on one, Levi was actually a great teacher and surprisingly easy to talk to. He didn't berate him for not knowing things, he didn't get frustrated or even impatient. Noon came faster than he ever imagined. He stretched his back and slung his arms behind his head. His back cracked pleasantly as he leaned in the chair.

Levi looked at him for a moment.

"Hungry?" He asked. Eren snapped to attention. He hadn't realized just how hungry he was. He'd been too nervous to stop for breakfast.

"Umm...yea, actually, really hungry", he said sheepishly.

Levi looked at the time on his phone.

"Good news Eren. You get to take me out for coffee, like you wanted".

Eren was confused for a moment. They accomplished so much in the last five hours. Eren was sure he could understand at least most of what they went over. He was afraid going out with him would distract him.

"Are...you sure?" He asked hesitantly. Levi put a hand at his hip.

"So now you don't want to?" He questioned. Eren stood, stretching his legs.

"No- I mean I thought once it turned out you were my teacher...the prospect of a date sorta just went out the window", he said.

"Tsh, it's not a date. And...I haven't thought about it yet", he said more to himself. Eren watched him walk towards the front door, quickly following behind him.

"Could you get in trouble?" He asked quickly, slipping his shoes back on in the foyer.

"Yea, probably a lot", Levi admitted calmly. Eren felt even more confused now.

Eren smiled at him. "You already had coffee, though", Eren said smoothly. Levi picked up his empty mug and tipped it, expressing there wasn't a drop left.

"It's been hours. Save your judgements", he washed and dried the mug and placed it back in the cupboard. Eren had to wonder if it was normal for any person to do things like that. The level of self discipline you'd need..

They left the house, Levi turning and locking the door behind them. Eren followed. They climbed into Levi's little black car, Eren buckling in. The car was, unsurprisingly, clean and smelled of fresh pine. This man was something else.

"I'm...actually enjoying today", Eren said happily. "I really thought you were going to kill me and bury my body under your porch", he nervously laughed. Levi rolled his eyes.

"Big surprises all around. You're not a huge annoying brat and I'm not a homicidal maniac. Everyone wins".

Eren chuckled.

"Oh, you thought I was annoying?" He said sadly. Levi spun his hands on the wheel, turning the car down the road smoothly.

"I've known college students for a good few years. Most of them infuriate me", he said. Eren looked passively out the windshield.

"I guess. Makes sense",

"In any case, I was sure you would spend the last few hours complaining, wining, or trying to get out of doing the work. I wasn't aware how much you really wanted to learn", he said. Eren felt slightly embarrassed. Had it been anyone but him tutoring him, that might have been the case. Although distracting, being around Levi made time go by quickly. He seemed to be appealing to all the senses...so far. He tried not to imagine what he tasted like.

Eren looked out the window and watched the town drift by.

"How about a bar?" He suggested. Levi shook his head from the driver's seat.

"You're not drinking age and bars are dirty", he grimaced. Eren huffed.

"Please. There's soda, music, and pool. You don't play pool? I figured you for someone who might be pretty good at that sort of thing", he asked.

Levi drove in silence for a few moments. His passenger began to feel antsy. He hated coffee.

"You're right. I'd probably kick your ass in pool anyway", he said slyly. Eren visibly saw something shift in Levi's eyes as he stared down the road.

"Eren..." Levi started. Eren didn't answer. He stared at Levi, waiting.

"I'm about to fuck up your day", he said quietly. Something stirred in Eren as he watch his teacher slowly morph into what he could only describe as a completely different person. His fingers tightened on the wheel, the car moving slightly faster. Eren wasn't sure how he felt about the excitement. It was both satisfying and oddly terrifying.

He hardly even remembered parking and getting out of the car. He was so focused on Levi, he nearly ran his face into the door. His smooth recovery offered him a chance to hold the door for his teacher.

"Don't think politeness will stop me from annihilating you", he said, passing him cooly. Eren smiled. This would be an interesting experience.

Levi made a B-line for the pool tables, tossing in a few quarters into a slot. Once the balls were available, he set it up. Eren grabbed a couple cues and tried to hand Levi one. The raven haired man scrunched his nose at the cue he was offered and walked over to the rack, picking a specific one.

Levi nodded to Eren. "Why don't you go ahead and break them", he offered. Eren puffed his chest out.

"Okay, just a fair warning, I'm pretty good. So, you know...don't yell at me if I win", he joked. Levi smiled, though Eren was a little more than scared of it.

"Alright, kiddo, just break it and show me", he said darkly. Eren leaned into the table, focused. He cracked the que into the white ball, watching it crash into the others. Eren pumped his fist happily as one of them fell into a hole.

"Yea! Stripes!" He exclaimed. Levi looked at the table.

"Before your next shot...care to make a wager?" He asked softly. Eren looked at him with a suspicious glint in his eye.

"Like what?" He asked. Levi stepped towards him, eyes not leaving the table.

"If I win, you do one thing for me. It's whatever I say", he suggested. He got very close and leaned into his ear.

"And vice versa", he whispered. Eren felt a shiver run down his spine as his hot breath caressed his ear.

"What...sort of thing are we talking?" He asked nervously. Levi smirked.

"That is, of course at the winners discretion. Do you agree to these terms?" Levi asked, stepping away. Eren took a deep breath.

"Yea, I agree", he shakily answered. He bent down to make his next shot. Miss.

Levi walked around the table, scanning it. Just then, he heard someone gasp.

"Is that Ackerman? Holy shit, it's Levi!" Just then five or so people (practically everyone there) piled over to see him. Levi visibly grimaced.

"Saturday...at noon..." He grumbled. Eren watched, wide eyed, as several people shook his hand and attempted to talk to him.

"I haven't seen you here in years, I'm surprised! Where have you been?" One patron would gush.

All the others seemed to have the same level of excitement over seeing him. Levi attempted to cut the conversation as short as possible.

He waved them away and each one eventually left. He bent down to shoot when a loud voice called over.

"Hey, Levi!" And a large man came walking quickly over. He looked familiar to Eren.

"Abarai..." Levi said softly. Eren looked from the red head and back to his teacher.

This particular person didn't seem to bother Levi as much as the others. Levi almost seemed happy to see him.

"I thought you said this wasn't a place you frequented", he raised an eyebrow. Levi glared at him for a moment. Instead of shaking his hand, this man engulfed Levi in a full hug. He seemed irritated, though not at all surprised by being literally lifted off the ground.

Levi looked so small compared to him. He also couldn't help but think they looked...cute. Eren felt a little more than a small amount of jealousy.

Levi looked around the large man to a orange haired individual who waved distantly.

"Renji...nice to see you", he said. Renji bowed his head to Levi's ear, speaking privately to him. Eren expected for Levi to push him away or get angry. Instead he stood there and listened. He even smiled.

"That's good to hear, Renji. Congrats", he said. Renji laughed. He said his goodbyes and left to return to his friend.

"I met him before at a grocery store. He's nice. Old friend?" Eren asked. Levi shook his head.

"Sort of. He's a petulant child", he said. Eren watched Renji gather his friend and leave. He glanced back at the table and felt his stomach churn. Like a hawk, Levi's eyes locked into his target and sunk the ball into it. One after another, his que hit the white ball. And each time, he sunk exactly where he intended.

Eren felt a bead of sweat roll down his face. He wasn't kidding.

"You never said you were this good", Eren wined. Levi huffed.

"Was I modest?" He asked. Eren had to admit. He never once eluded that he wasn't good. In fact he was pretty upfront about his intentions of beating him - badly from the start.

Finally, the 8 ball sank into it's intended hole and Levi gave Eren a knowing smirk.

"Okay, time to go", he said. Eren replaced his que and pushed the rest of his untouched balls into the slots.

"You don't want to eat anything? That's why we're here..." Eren tried.

"Bar food is not interesting. Don't try to distract me from your loss. You owe me", he reminded. Eren nervously smiled.

His mind rushed through what Levi could possibly do with his winnings. He followed him quietly out the door before sliding into the passengers seat. They had no food, nor drink. Somehow he wasn't hungry.

"So...you have a whole other side to you, huh?" Eren remarked. Levi sighed heavily.

"It's a closed chapter in my life. I don't go to bars anymore. I try not to talk to those people if I can help it", he said almost sadly.

Eren couldn't fathom why. Everyone seemed to really like him. He didn't seem too upset over Renji saying hello. Why was he any different?

"Well...that was fun. I really enjoyed playing with you. Even if I never stood a chance", he laughed.

Levi chuckled. He turned into the driveway next to Eren's car. They sat silently for a moment.

"So...what are you going to make me do?" He asked in anticipation.

"Snake the drain in the kitchen. I can't touch it, it's too disgusting", he said simply. Eren was almost disappointed. Levi seemed so... flirtatious in the bar. He'd though he might have a chance with him.

"Oh...okay", he said. He hadn't meant to sound sad about it.

"You can do that tomorrow. Come in and get you're stuff", he said dryly. Eren sighed to himself and got out of the car. The walk up the driveway was longer than he remembered. Should he say something? He passed Levi on his way to get his books.

"Should I...try to..." He thought to himself. He gathered his belongings and trudged back to the foyer. As he walked towards the door, Levi stood next to it. He place his hand on the knob to open it for him, but paused.

"What would you have made me do...if you'd have won?" He asked. Eren felt a jolt through his body.

"Uhh...I'm not sure. Maybe...touch something dirty...like a sponge or car floor", he joked. Levi narrowed his eyes. Even if he knew it was a lie, the idea made him cringe.

"How boring", he said coldly. He turned the knob and opened the door. Eren stared out the door but couldn't make his legs move. He looked at Levi's hand on the door and took a deep breath.

"Time to do something stupid", he thought to himself. He tossed his bag with all his books outside and grabbed Levi by the back of his head, pulling him close and pressing his lips forcefully to his. Instead of pushing him off, as he expected, Levi wrapped his arms around Eren's neck, weaving his fingers roughly through his chestnut hair. Eren pressed Levi into the wall behind him, hungrily exploring his mouth. He felt his lip get bitten lightly between Levi's teeth, causing him to groan. His breath came in gasps as he pulled Levi closer.

Just as he felt he was about to grab him up, Levi yanked him back by his hair, spun him around suddenly and shoved him out the door.

"Goodbye", he whispered huskily before slamming the door shut. Eren stood, breathless at the door, completely stunned.

"Okay", he said slowly, getting into his car and pulling out, excited for tomorrow.

000

(Later that evening)

Levi gasped as he shot up in bed. His entire body shook violently as he clutched the covers, trying to calm his shivering. He leapt from bed, dizzily running to the bathroom. He lifted the seat and promptly vomited. Tears streamed down his face as he grabbed a water bottle on the sink, gulping down as much as he could. He brushed his teeth until his mouth was numb, still shivering.

He walked slowly to bed, picking up his phone from his nightstand.

000

Eren groaned as a small *ping* woke him from a restless sleep. Groggily, he looked at his phone when another noise sounded. He was being called. Grumpily he answered without seeing who it was. The clock said 230.

"Hello?" He mumbled.

"Come over", came a low voice on the other end. Eren looked at the phone.

"Levi?" He whispered. The man on the other end hung up, leaving no room to argue.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Eren yawned as he sat in Levi's driveway. It was nearly 3:00 am. He had never been up this late unless he hadn't fallen asleep yet.

"Please be for sex, please be for sex", he begged whomever was listening. He did not want to snake a kitchen drain at three in the morning. He drug himself out of his car and scuffed his feet up to the front door.

"Please...no drain...want sleep..." He thought to himself. He gently knocked on the door only to have it open from under his hand. A hand reached out and grabbed him, pulling him into a hot mouth. An intense taste and smell of mint assaulted his senses. The door closed behind him as he hoisted the smaller man up to his hips. Levi clamped his legs around his waist, curling his long fingers through his hair.

Having no familiarity with Levi's bedroom, he fell to his knees on the living room floor, Levi straddling him, pulling closer. He pulled away for only the length of time needed to pull his shirt over his head before pressing back into him. Eren had been with a man before, but the urgency Levi had was alluring and sexy. His legs fit perfectly around him, his chest hieving with need.

Levi pushed Eren onto his back, grinding their hips together and pulling at Eren's clothes.

"Why now? You didn't want this earlier today?" Eren said between heavy breaths and Levi's tongue in his mouth.

"Stop talking", he ordered, finally ripping off Eren's shirt. The young man didn't need to be told twice. He felt another, harder, bite on his lip. He reached around and sank his teeth into Levi's shoulder, feeling him squirm on top of him. He rolled over, pinning his wrists together above his head. Once he was adequately subdued, Levi finally calmed his frenzy.

"Like taming a God damned animal", Eren thought to himself. He laid his body on Levi, feeling his legs wrap around him again.

A scar grazing the edge of his torso caught Eren's attention. He looked only for a moment, but Levi squeezed his thighs around him, bringing him back to focus.

He wasn't sure how used to sex with a man Levi was, but every attempt he made to prepare him was met with impatience and nails digging into his back. So finally, Eren had enough. He was warm. His body shook beneath him. Tears fell freely from his eyes. He wasn't sure if he was hurt or feeling regret. But he was told not to speak, so he didn't ask.

He did everything Levi demanded. He clutched tightly to Eren and breathed shallow breaths into his neck, gently coaxing him to continue. By the end, Levi was so exhausted, he fell asleep almost instantly. Eren looked at his sleeping face. It was...sadder than he'd imagined. His tear stained cheeks were relaxed, his eyes closed. His breath was finally a slow, calm rhythm. Eren picked him up in his arms, searching the dark house for a bedroom.

Upon finally discovering it, he laid Levi's body down in bed, attempting to cover him. There were a few bruises spotted on his body as well as angry red lines. A bite mark on his shoulder reminded him of just how rough they had been.

"What the hell was that?" He asked quietly to Levi's sleeping form. Everyone has their thing, he supposed. He went back into the living room to gather his clothes when he saw the clock. Four in the morning.

"I have to be back here in three fucking hours", he groaned.

He saw the couch and thought about just going to sleep next to Levi. But something about what had just happened didn't sit completely right with him. It was undoubtedly the best sex he'd ever had, but it also had been the weirdest. It was almost like Levi wanted Eren to hurt him.

He was worried to bring it up. He felt so childish. It was sex, why complain? Who was he to kink-shame anyone?

Eren put his underwear back on and searched around for an extra blanket. He looked into the ottoman and found *several* fluffy blankets, all neatly folded.

"Cold, sharp tongued Levi loves fluffy blankets. Putting that in the bank for sure", he smiles to himself. He fell into the couch and pulled the blanket over his head, falling asleep quickly.

000

"You're late", came a deep voice. Eren's eyes snapped open and he pushed the blanket from over his head. Levi stood over him, fully dressed, showered, and with a cup of coffee in his hand. He took a sip.

"7:01am...and you're not ready", he chastised, taking another sip. Eren groaned, pulling himself up. He yawned deeply and scratched his scalp.

"Sorry, I was out late last night", he grumbled. Levi huffed impatiently.

"You shouldn't have been up so late, knowing you'd have to be ready. Don't be so immature", he said, walking away. Eren looked at Levi, amazed.

"It was your fault!" He thought in his head. As if sensing he'd dared get mad at him, Levi cocked his head behind him.

"And you smell. Go take a shower and brush your teeth. I have extra brushes in the linen closet. I expect you to clean up after yourself", he said before disappearing into the kitchen. Eren yawned again.

He padded his way to the bathroom and found everything he needed, though was extra careful when removing or in any way touching any part of Levi's house. He made absolutely sure no other towels were in any way moved or altered.

The linnen closet did indeed have extra tooth brushes...many, in fact. Who the hell needed this many tooth brushes?

He scrubbed the sink clean with his fingers after brushing his teeth and dipped his head completely into it to spit the toothpaste out. His shower was short, but efficient. It was the most stressful morning he'd ever experienced.

He wandered down the steps and into the kitchen, holding the towel.

"Where should I put this?" He asked nervously. Levi looked up at him for a short second.

"The washer is in the basement", he explained.

"You.. don't have a dirty clothes hamper?" He asked. Levi scrunched his nose.

"Why bother letting soiled laundry sit and smell. Put everything in the wash. Clean it, fold it, put it away. No reason to form a huge pile of disgusting clothes", he said. Eren held in his reaction and went searching for the basement steps.

"Even the stupid basement..." He grunted. Finished and totally clean, the basement was arguably the shiniest spot in the house. This was likely due to the low traffic it got, but it was still amazing just how freaky Levi was about keeping house. It's like he wanted no trace of a human living there. It was a robot house.

Eren chuckled a bit at the idea of Levi being a robot and tossed his dirty towel into the wash.

000

The rest of the day went almost exactly like the day before with the added bonus of Eren thinking about the night before. Levi didn't allow him to lose focus, but it was difficult when the object of his desire was literally eating apple slices three inches away. He would ask a question about the assignment, Levi would answer him curtly, and there would be silence again.

Eren gathered his courage. "So...umm...do you want to talk about last night?" He asked nervously. Levi didn't look at him.

"What about it?" He questioned.

"I mean...it was great but...it was kinda sudden", he tried. Levi looked at him, his face didn't relay any emotion.

"You don't want it?"

"That's not what I'm saying", Eren argued.

"Then don't complain", he said simply. Eren opened his mouth to say something, but Levi stood up and pulled Eren's chair from the table. He smoothly slid into his lap, facing him.

"Just stop asking questions", he whispered into Eren's mouth. Eren melted into the kiss. He placed his hands on either side of Levi's hips, enjoying his attention. He brushed his fingers on the small of Levi's back, under his shirt. Levi gently bit the sides of Eren's jaw, running a trail down to his neck. His kisses eventually traveled downward, lifting Eren's shirt to nip at his chest and stomach. Before he reached his thighs Eren's entire body jolted when Levi's phone went off loudly.

As if nothing had happened, Levi stood and answered the phone.

"Erwin, good morning...yes, he's doing well...I think he will pass before that time", he continued the conversation in another room. Eren dropped his head to the table.

"This is going to kill me..." He groaned.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Eren looked solemnly at a paper hung up on the school bulletin board. Several extra curricular activities were posted. Erwin had told him to pick something to get rid of "aggression". Although his current activities would probably fix that just fine. Nearly the entire week of his tutoring had been completed. Levi was truly an amazing teacher, if not a very sociable one.

"Huh...track racing. That might be interesting. It's easy, there's no real skill to it and I would be in great shape", he said quietly. He backed up from the board without turning around, accidentally bumping into someone. He spun around quickly, apologizing.

"Sorry, sorry I- ...Renji?" He asked, confused. The tall man stretched his ever present smile.

"Hey, there! We just keep running into each other", he said cheerily. Eren gawked, not for the first time at this mountain of a man. He couldn't figure out how someone like Renji could even exist.

"Hey...you go here too?" He asked quietly. Renji stood a little closer.

"Yea. Making something of myself, ya know. Trying to be something, good to see you", he said. Before he could turn and leave, Eren reached up and gently grabbed his tatted arm.

"Hey...I'm sorry, but how well do you know Levi?" He asked. He hoped against hope he wasn't an ex lover. There was just no way to compete with that.

"I know a little bit. Not much I'm afraid. Why do you ask?"

"Did you know he's a teacher here?" Eren asked. Renji looked totally surprised by that information.

"No kidding? Small world. I had no idea!" He said loudly. Something about Renji was putting Eren completely at ease. He couldn't figure it out.

"Do...do you mind if I pick your brain later? I just am curious about him, but he clams up anytime I ask a question. You're dating an older guy, right? Would you mind giving me some tips?" He asked. He felt like an idiot. Asking someone else for dating advise. But he needed it with Levi.

"Don't know much, but I guess we could hang out for a bit", he said, scribbling his number down on a piece of notebook paper and tearing it off. He handed it to Eren and winked.

"My class ends in two hours. I'll see you soon", he said pleasantly before shouldering his bag and walking off. Eren watched his retreating form. A familiar voice began speaking.

"Huh, track. That sounds like fun", Jean said aloud. Eren grew instantly irritated.

"Just because I'm joining doesn't mean you need to Jean!" He said angrily. Jean looked at him, his face contorting into anger as well.

"You're delusional! How could I have even known you were joining?" He barked. Eren shoved his face as close to Jean as possible.

"Well you'd better not join now, because I wouldn't want to embarrass you in front of Mikasa. You might want to join something more your style like the chess club", he mocked. Jean stood a couple inches taller than Eren, trying to seem as intimidating as possible.

"Put your money where your mouth is, kid, these legs were built for speed! You'd be weighed down by all that pompous attitude!"

"Oh, please! Don't let me interrupt your over compensation attempts. You're not man enough for Mikasa, you're not man enough to beat me!" He said loudly.

"Gonna be hard to run while on your knees, fairy, don't even think someone like you is more "man" them me!" Jean jabbed. Eren laughed at that.

Eren got real close, keeping his voice low. "I dare you to try and take a dick without crying. Tell me whose a bigger man then", he hissed.

"Alright, break it up", a deep voice resonated, dissipating the small crowd that had formed around the boys.

Eren looked at Levi as he stood, menacingly, in the hallway. Jean grumbled and walked away.

"See you later, I guess", he said under his breath. Eren nodded and walked up to Levi.

"Do you really want Erwin to suspend you?" He asked sharply. Eren raised an eyebrow.

"Hello to you too, Levi", he said flippantly, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Mr. Ackerman. I suggest you get to your next class. Tardiness is an insult to your teacher and your classmates", he said. Eren felt confused.

"O...kay? Am I still coming over tonight?" He asked. Levi pulled out his phone and tapped his thumb on it.

"Yes, you will get your next tutoring session tonight at five. Please don't be late this time, I do have better things to do", he said harshly, turning away. Eren felt a pit forming in his stomach.

000

"He's always been that way", Renji said, sitting down on Eren's bed. He crossed his legs and pulled out some homework from his bag. Eren sat in his computer chair, rolling it up to his new friend.

"But he's not like that when I'm over his house. It's like he's a completely different person", he said sadly. Renji sighed.

"Yea...it's really like that", the redhead mumbled, "You have to be patient. Byakuya did the same thing", he said sadly. Eren put his chin on the back of the chair.

"Okay, so...how do you know Levi?" He asked excitedly. Renji sat back on the bed, looking upwards.

"Well, I'll tell ya, you may not like it", he started. Eren stayed quiet.

"He used to be something of a name underground. Actually, he was amazing. He used to fight in an illegal fighting arena", he said. Eren felt he'd have fallen over if he hadn't been sitting.

"You're kidding? Those exist?" He asked, wanting to laugh. He already almost didn't believe Renji. Renji's unusually serious face changed his mind.

"He eventually got out. People who are too good and never lose don't last long down there. No one makes any money off you, so no one will sponsor you", he explained. Eren wasn't sure if he understood.

"What do you mean?" He asked. Renji stretched his arms in the air.

"Often, the sponsor of a talented fighter will actually pay their fighter to lose. When that happens, they bet on the other fighter. Then, given the low odds, they win a substantial amount of money, given most people bet on their fighter to win. It is, of course, against the rules. But rules hardly apply in places like this. Levi didn't want to throw a match. So he left. Since he was so strong, no one went after him. Ordinarily, fighters just...disappear when they stop fighting. They are usually "taken out", he said quietly. He seemed to be reliving something.

"But he wasn't?" Eren coaxed. Renji shrugged.

"He's a scary guy. So I guess no one wanted to attempt to take him out. They left him alone and no one has seen him since...at least not until a few days ago", he said, smiling.

"So...I mean how did you know him? Did you fight him?" He asked. Renji laughed.

"I never got the honor of fighting Down Under's strongest fighter. But..." He paused. Eren leaned in, captivated.

"Well...my girlfriend had kicked me out of my apartment...not for the first or the last time. I needed a place to stay for the night. More as a joke I asked if I could room with him for the night and he said the strangest thing..."

Eren sat silently listening.

"He said I had to make it worth his time", he recalled.

Eren was almost positive he knew what that meant.

"So you..." He began. Renji rubbed the back of his neck.

"Yea...we did. Afterwards, he had some serious reservations about sleeping in the same room, so we just stayed up and drank most of the night", he said, shifting in his seat. Eren was amazed.

"How long ago was this?" He asked. Renji smiled warmly.

"Ehh, long enough ago now that I'm sure he doesn't even care. But one thing stuck out with him that I couldn't shake. He's a bit like Byakuya.. but also nothing like him at all", he said. "Levi...doesn't want to be loved. Levi wants to be hurt. He doesn't want to be happy or comforted. At least he didn't before. He was running on some weird rage that I never got the chance to figure out. He seems happy with you though...well as happy as I've ever seen him", he said, tapping a pencil to his lips.

Eren sat up straight in the chair. His chest was against the back of it. This was so much information, and yet also so little. It didn't really give him much more to go on than he'd had before.

"Well...what do I do? How do I help him?". Eren asked. Renji laughed loudly, almost surprising Eren out of his seat.

"I have no clue. Kid...some people can't be saved. But I guess I'll give you this. If you feel like wasting your life and energy trying to help someone like that...be patient with him. Hell probably make you hate him before he'll let himself love you", Renji said sadly.

Eren didn't believe that. No one *wanted* to be miserable. He would help Levi if he could.

A tune in Renji's pocket went off and he pulled his phone out.

"Hey good lookin'!...yea, that sounds good, but no carrots...eww, why, I hate them...I dont care how good they are for my eyes, they taste like garbage...okay, I'll pick some up...probably about an hour...just with a new friend...okay...love you", he hung up and looked at Eren.

"Okay, Lord of my castle calling, I gotta scram. You be careful with him. He's not totally...with it...I don't think", Renji said slowly, picking up his bag. Eren stood up, accepting a hug from the large man.

"Do you have any pointers...in that area...when it comes to him?" Eren asked, slightly emberassed. Renji gave him a predatory smile and spoke in a low growl.

"If you have to ask, you're probably not doing it hard enough. Trust me", he winked and exited.

Eren stood, breathless staring at the door. For a moment, he desperately wanted to be this Byakuya person.

000

Eren knocked on Levi's door. This time, he felt more confident. He would chip away at Levi's cold exterior and make him aware of how great he was as a boyfriend. He would get him to understand...

"You're late", came Levi's cold words. Eren remembered what Renji said. Patience.

"Yea...I got us some dinner. Sorry, the line was longer than I thought. Like sushi?" He asked, handing Levi a bag. Levi examined at bag and blinked for a moment.

"You're forgiven", he said simply, turning back inside. Eren mentally high fives himself and followed after him.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Eren opened his tired eyes. They were heavy and dry. A heavy yawn pushed through his chest. He looked at his side, seeing Levi laying uncharacteristically on his thigh, his arms wrapped around his waist. His breathing was slow and rhythmic. Eren had already learned the hard way not to wake Levi once he's fallen asleep. However, he also knew Levi, once asleep, was very hard to wake up.

He gently slid out of the man's grasp, as careful as possible not to allow him to stir. If his face began to twitch or move in any way, he froze in place until he was still again.

Inch by inch, Eren gathered Levi in his arms, reaching under his knees to lift him up. When he was finally on his feet, Levi's eyes snapped open, bloodshot and furious. Eren went rigid, he held his breath and his stomach did flips as he watched Levi's eyelids ever so slowly droop back to closed. Eren allowed himself to let out a shallow breath, creeping over to the staircase. Beads of sweat gathered on his brow as he very carefully ascended the staircase. Every creak in his step made his back tingle in anticipation.

Eventually, he made it to the bedroom where he gingerly laid Levi down on his bed. The older man, out of instinct, wrapped his arms around Eren's neck and held on. Now stuck, Eren began to panic. He tried gently removing Levi's arms, but he just clamped tighter. He tried gently laying his weight on Levi, hoping to make him just uncomfortable enough to roll over in sleep. He moaned instead.

Eren's eyebrow twitched. "Don't you fucking do that to me," he whispered, frustrated. So, that's where he stayed for nearly half an hour. His back was sore and his neck was breaking until (finally) his arms loosened from around him.

Eren struggled to untangle himself, attempting to keep the bed still and quiet. When he finally managed to get free, Levi curled up on top of the covers. His body shivered slightly. Eren groaned quietly. He was not attempting to remove the covers from under him. He tip toed down the steps, gathering a thick blanket from the living room. He slowly draped it over his professor, risking to brush his black hair put of his face. As he looked at the man, something strange stirred inside him.

He was perfect.

His deep breaths, his sleeping face, the torturous lengths Eren put himself through to make him happy. His body was perfect, his voice was perfect, his smell, his smile, however rare it was, all perfect. Eren felt his chest tighten.

"This is bad", he thought to himself.

Trying to shake the thoughts from his mind, Eren went back downstairs to erase any lingering traces of their night together. He took out the trash, he wiped every counter, and fixed the couch from their now regular evening romp, and went to the bathroom.

When finished he debated with himself. Risk sleeping in bed with him where he would get to smell and touch him all night but be the closest living thing near him when he inevitably woke up? Or play it safe and take the couch again...

He decided he would gamble with his life and quietly climbed the stairs again to Levi's bed. He climbed in, lifting the blanket over his body, and scooted next to the other man. He hurried his nose in Levi's hair, inhaling his scent and wrapped a protective arm around him. His eyes eventually closed, peace washing over him.

000

Eren was awakened by Levi's body uncontrollably shaking. His breaths were shallow and panicked.

"It won't come off..." He mumbled, his eyes still closed. Eren leaned over him, concerned. Was he having a nightmare?

Fear seeped itself into his chest as tears began bursting from Levi's closed eyes, high pitched whimpers vibrated from his mouth. Eren rubbed his face, kissing his wet cheek.

"Levi, wake up", he said softly. Levi's eyes shot open, he sat up quickly and shoved Eren out of the way, rushing to the bathroom. Not knowing what to do, Eren followed him, standing in the doorway as he threw up violently into the toilet. He then, moved over to the sink, grabbing his toothbrush and dumping a more than generous amount of toothpaste onto it, scrubbing the life out of his teeth and tongue. He rinsed the brush, rinsed his mouth out, and threw away the brush. He then reached into the lining closet, grabbed another brush from the pile of extras and repeated the act. Levi did this three times before Eren finally spoke up.

"Levi..." He said quietly. As if just realizing he was there, Levi's shoulders jumped in surprise. He spat out what was left in his mouth and put the toothbrush in the holder. Taking a deep breath, he walked over to Eren, grabbed him by the collar, and pulled him to the bedroom. He wrapped his arms around his neck, kissing him deeply. Eren was, in all seriousness, more confused then he'd ever been in his life.

He's just witnessed the most chaotic nightmare reaction he'd ever seen and moments later was being coaxed into sex. This couldn't be healthy.

In between kisses, Eren attempted to make sense of what was happening.

"Hey, are you sure you want to do this? That was kinda-"

"Please...just stop talking", Levi whispered desperately. Eren sighed and climbed on top of him, embracing him tightly. Once again, Levi was insatiably impatient. He clawed at Eren's chest and back. He bit his lips and tongue. Eren had to hold him down again. He held his wrists together above his head and bit down on his chest. Levi hissed out a groan and squished his eyes shut, turning his head. His breaths were ragged and labored, a sheet of sweat covered his body.

Eren remembered what Renji had said. Although they had already done this tonight and Eren didn't want to hurt Levi, he wasn't sure if he would be satisfied if he went easy on him. So he didn't.

000

Levi laid on his back, staring at the ceiling. Eren laid next to him, not totally sure what to do. Last time they did it this urgently, Levi had fallen asleep afterwards. Eren felt like he'd just been in a fight.

"We should talk about this", Eren said quietly. Levi nearly interrupted him.

"That was different..." He said simply. Eren sat up and looked at him.

"Did you hear me?"

"I mean it was a good different...an amazing different...like you took your day out on me", he continued. Eren was irritated at being ignored.

When Levi say up as well, Eren gently, but firmly, grasped his shoulders.

"Levi...what just happened?" He demanded. Levi looked at him with wide eyes for a moment. Then he shifted back to his regular self, seemlesly.

"You got a whole lot better in a short amount of time, that's what happened", he said, tearing himself from the brunette's grip. Eren followed the man with his eyes as he fled the room. He made his way downstairs where Levi was brewing a cup of coffee, only wearing a pair of sweatpants. He tapped impatiently on the counter, waiting for it to be ready.

"Levi..."

"Leave it alone, Eren. I don't want to talk about it", he said firmly. Eren ran his fingers through his hair.

"So every time this happens you just literally just want me to beat the fuck out of you?" He asked, approaching anger. Levi stopped his tapping.

"Is that going to be a problem?" Levi asked darkly. Eren stood stunned. The older man walked towards him, almost scaring him. He ran his fingers down the scratch marks he'd made moments earlier.

"Sometimes, I have bad nights. When that happens, I'll need you to rough me up a bit", he said, resting his cheek on Eren's chest.

"But...why?" Eren asked. Levi started to fidget.

"Helps..." Was all he could manage to say. Eren sighed. If it helped...he supposed it wasn't a problem. He just wished he knew what was wrong.

000

The next few days were more or less the same. Eren would stay with Levi most nights. Very occasionally, he would have an episode. Eren would have to dominate him into calming down, and they wouldn't talk about it afterwards. As much as those moments bothered him, Eren was beginning grow serious feelings for Levi. Though at school, if they saw one another, it was always the same. He was a complete nightmare.

Eren had decided to join track. Running in the early mornings seemed to help him focus. He could think about something Levi had said or cool off from one of their arguments. Their difference in age made arguing a little more regular than he'd have liked.

Obviously, since he joined, Mikasa joined and soon followed Jean. Worse yet, Mikasa was better than him in absolutely every way, so although she could pass him easily if she wanted, the young woman kept pace with him constantly, making it very difficult to concentrate. Jean attempted to keep up with them, but usually was left behind. Eren could not take his pathetic attempts with Mikasa anymore. At this point it was just sad.

"Did you finish all your homework?" Mikasa asked while jogging next to Eren. He was deep in thought, so he didn't appreciate the intrusion.

"Yes", he answered simply.

"Remember you have that project due tomorrow. I could help you finish if you haven't", she continued.

"Damnit, it's done already! Would you leave me alone!" He shouted. As usual, his tone with her left her unaffected. She continued to jog next to him, occasionally asking him about one thing or another.

000

Levi stared at the picture in his hand. It had been worn nearly to tissue, yet he continued to take it out of it's resting place every day. After a few moments, a gentle knock on the door shook him from his thoughts as he placed the picture back in it's drawer and locked it.

Erwin entered and stood at the end of Levi's desk. His eyes were softer than usual while looking at him. Levi hated those eyes. The eyes of sympathy...of pity.

"Looking at it again?" He asked. Levi picked up a pen and began shifting through papers that needed grading.

"What do you want?" He asked.

"Eren's grade is up rather sufficiently and seems to be staying there. I'm impressed with whatever tactics you've been using", he said. Levi nodded and remained silent.

"You seem to be doing pretty well, yourself. Has your own mind finally started letting up on you? Or have you just found other coping methods?"

Levi stood abruptly.

"It isn't your business", he said angrily. Erwin looked slightly hurt.

"As your friend, I'd like to think it is somewhat my business. After all, I only wish for you to feel better", he said gently. Levi stared out the window. A group of joggers came around a bend on the grounds, a familiar tuft of brown hair among them, angrily attempting to escape another female jogger.

"Fine then...I guess I'm feeling better," he said quietly.

"For a little while, anyway."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The morning sun hid behind thin clouds, mist from the early morning dew still lingering. A crowd gathered excitedly, awaiting the first race of the season.

Eren stretched his legs, while Jean tried talking up Mikasa not for the first nor the last time.

"I'm just saying, you look really cute today in that...outfit", he stammered. And indeed, she did. Though it was hard for a girl not to look good in skin tight shorts halfway up her thigh and a tank top duo perfectly color coordinated to match. Mikasa's fit body was hard not to gawk at.

"She has a six pack, Jean. She's too much for you. Give it up", Eren pointed out after Mikasa went for a bottle of water. Jean huffed defiantly.

"Look, I'm not saying she isn't a lot to handle. But she's just enough for me!" He declared. Eren rolled his eyes.

"You're nuts", he said jokingly. After he stood up, he glanced at the spectators and noticed a familiar pair of dark grey eyes. Eren moved over to Levi, reaching out to get his attention.

"Hey, Levi-"

There was someone speaking to him.

"And...umm...well, it's just, this is the first time I've seen you outside the classroom and you...you look really good in street clothes", a girl was gushing over Levi who regarded her with bored politeness.

"Thank you", he said simply.

Eren felt a pang of jealousy. Levi's lips curled ever so slightly into a smile. Eren's blood began to boil.

"What the..." He snarled to himself.

The girl flirtatiously brushed her hand on his shoulder, attempting to make small talk with him. He didn't stop her. He didn't snap at her for being inappropriate. His feet automatically froze in place, unable to take him any closer. He might have blown up.

"So, there's this new restaurant downtown and everyone is going crazy over it. Do you want to go?" She asked. Eren held his breath.

"Tell her no...tell her you have someone and to fuck off..." He begged in his head. Levi gave her the same look he gave Eren the first time he approached him. That same slightly interested though wholly superior look.

"Perhaps another time", he answered. Eren heard pounding in his ears. His eyes were wide.

Another...time?

The girl seemed disappointed, though not upset and bounced off, giggling with her friends. Eren wanted to strangle him. His feet slowly took him to the man he'd been sleeping with, eating with, and practically obsessing over the last few weeks.

"Hey..." He grumbled, Levi looked to him and nodded, starting to walk away. Eren grabbed his shoulder and forcibly turned him around. Under his hand, he felt Levi tense up. A strong feeling of danger overwhelmed him. His legs started quivering slightly like he wanted to run.

"What did you come here for?" Eren asked angrily. He tried not to feel afraid, but the very air around Levi became thick and hard to breathe. His eyes were daggers, but when he spoke, his voice was calm as it had ever been.

"I came to watch our school's track team run. I didn't come for any one person in particular", he spoke in his deep voice.

Eren clenched his hand on Levi's shoulder, still feeling like he was increasingly entering dangerous territory. But he couldn't stop. He was too angry.

"You're so full of shit", he said quietly through his teeth. Levi looked at Eren's hand on his shoulder for a brief moment with just his eyes before looking back at Eren.

"I highly suggest you remove your hand, Eren", Levi said threateningly. Eren couldn't. He was too terrified and too angry to let it go.

"What the fuck am I to you?" He growled. Levi's eyes flashed menacingly. He grabbed Eren's hand and moved them away from the crowd of people. Eren barely struggled. His grip was like an iron clamp on his wrist.

"Jesus, how strong are you?" He complained while being shoved through the doors of a standalone locker room. There were two boys already there.

"Leave", Levi said angrily. The two boys wisely did not drag their feet scurrying away. When they were gone, Eren turned to Levi who was rolling up his sleeves.

"Wanna tell me why you're being such a prick-" a hand connected with his cheek before he could continue. It came with such force, he was knocked back. His head smashed against a locker.

"What the hell..."

"I'll warn you this time not to talk about our activities outside my work while I'm here. Next time your punishment will be worse. You don't know what kind of Hell I went through to get here, so if you screw it up for me you're going to wish you'd never met me. Are we clear?" He asked darkly.

Eren stared up at him with wide eyes. His body shook slightly, his face hot to the touch where Levi had smacked him.

Levi's eyes softened as he looked at Eren's reaction.

"Don't look at me like that. I told you to let go. You didn't listen. What was I supposed to do?" He leaned down on his knees. He reached out to touch where he's struck Eren, the younger man flinching at his fingers.

Eren's breathing was erratic; still in shock over what had happened.

Levi closed his eyes and let out a long breath.

"This is me, Eren. You should leave. I'm not good for you or anyone", he said softly, gently caressing his cheek. Eren still felt his body shaking. No matter what he did, he couldn't stop.

"I would know...I would know if you would just tell me what's bothering you", Eren said, his voice cracking. His eyes got hot as tears threatened to fall. Levi brushed the back of his fingers over Eren's cheek, kissing him softly. He continued across his jaw, hot breath causing goose flesh to rise on Eren's neck.

"Is this...abusive?" Eren thought to himself. He'd heard of people in relationships hitting each other. Was this unsafe?

He let him touch him anyway.

How could he fight it?

He's body reacted deliciously as Levi took control. He placed a hand on the locker behind him, lifting Eren's thighs up to wrap around his hips. It was unusual for Levi to top him, though he felt Levi was always the one in control.

Ackerman ground his hips roughly into his student, Eren biting back a moan. Levi nipped at Eren's earlobe, quietly shushing him. He flexed his hands over Eren's rear end, the thin material of his shorts allowing the heat from his hands to warm his skin.

"I'm sorry", he whispered softly into the side of Eren's face. He reached up and tangled his long fingers into Eren's messy hair, tugging gently.

Although they were in public, the locker area they were in was off to the side, so there was still a level of privacy. Eren yelped as his bare bottom touched the cold floor as Levi slid the shorts up his legs, throwing his knees over his shoulders. Eren desperately wrapped his arms around Levi's neck. His body was shaking again, this time for a different reason.

Before they went any further, the door to the locker room swung open and both men froze in place. Levi pressed as close to the lockers as possible, holding his hand over Eren's mouth. He rested his chin on Eren's shoulder. Some shuffling, chatter, and laughter was heard for a moment before the door slammed shut again.

Levi wasted no time. Eren's breath hitched as he pressed into him, a strange pain throbbed through him. Eren bit his lip, Levi kissing his neck idly, waiting patiently for Eren to adjust to him. It was a familiar dance, only played backwards so although Eren knew all the steps, it was still entirely new.

Hushed gasps and moans cut through the silence as Levi had his way. Eren became lost in it. The rhythmic flexing of his arms, the stiffness of his back. Eren's legs slid down off his shoulders. Levi changed his angle slightly, causing Eren to tighten his grip.

A deep grunt coupled with a full body shiver told Eren he'd finished. His deep breaths loud in Eren's ears as he rested for a moment. The young man could have stayed like this with him. So close, he could smell him easily. His hair touched his face, his body heavy on top of him.

"I need to go..." Eren gasped, "the race is going to start soon."

Levi opened his eyes, removing himself. He stood up and adjusted his clothing, smoothing every wrinkle he found. For some reason, he refused to look at him.

"It's...it's okay, you know. I know you didn't mean it", Eren assured softly, reaching out to touch Levi. His teacher grabbed his hand roughly in his own, squeezing slightly.

"No, it isn't okay. Don't let people treat you like that", he said quietly. He held Eren's hand for a moment, his eyes lingering on the dull light in the locker room on his skin. Eren was confused.

"I don't understand. You apologized. Did you not want me to forgive you?" He asked. Levi looked deeply into his eyes then. They were impossibly, strangely, and undeniably sad.

"No, Eren...you should stay far away from me", he said. Eren felt his mouth go dry. Was that even a possibility?

000

Jean looked taken aback when Eren finally showed up again.

"What the hell happened to you? Your face is red-"

"It's fine. Nothing to worry about", he said quickly. Jean furrowed his eyebrows.

"Whatever I guess. Just so you know, you missed the announcements", he told him. Eren was too focused on his own thoughts to pay attention.

"Said...careful...stay on...listening?" Everything Jean had said came in scattered bits. Eren barely paid attention.

The gunshot sounded and the runners were off. Eren deployed a burst of energy, although he was not sure where it was coming from. His legs were still more or less jelly from recent activities. As he ran, he couldn't help but remain deep in thought.

What was his problem? He understood not being touchy together in public. But why did he have to be so mean? Why did he not tell that girl off? Why did he simply suggest Eren stay away instead of demand it?

His feet moved on their own.

"Why did he have nightmares all the time? Why wouldn't he talk about it? What did he want with him? Sex? A relationship?

"HEY, PAY ATTENTION!" Suddenly, his shoulder was being grabbed and Eren felt his body falling. He snapped to attention to find he and Jean had fallen from a shallow cliff. Jean shoved Eren in front of him so when they finally reached the ground, his body cushioned Eren's fall. They slid down a steep hill where, at the bottom, a large stone cracked painfully against Jean's head.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Beep...

Beep...

Beep...

"Can you stop staring at it?" Jean groaned. Eren darted his eyes away from the huge wrap covering the crown of his head. He sat down in the visitor's chair and bounced his knees.

"You're being weird. Why are you even here if you're just going to be uncomfortable the whole time?"

Eren huffed and rubbed his arms.

"Sorry...I guess I kinda feel responsible..." He said solemnly. Jean clicked his tongue to his teeth.

"Yea, it's all your fault for not paying attention. But you don't have to feel bad about my reaction. Just thank me and move on", he said, shifting in his hospital bed.

Eren couldn't ..he just couldn't...

Suddenly, the door swung open and Mikasa pushed her way through.

"Jean! You're alright. Are you hurt?" She asked in a worried tone. Jean's entire face flooded red, his eyes wide.

"Oh...I'm fine. Just a little bump", his voice cracked.

"The doctor said you were concussed", she gushed. Jean opened his mouth to say something when her chest engulfed his face. Two arms wrapped around his neck.

"Thank you, Jean. You saved Eren. Knowing him, he'd have gotten much more hurt. Thank you for putting yourself in harm's way for him!" She exclaimed into his ear. Eren looked at the heart monitor.

Beep..beep

Beep..beep

Beep..beep...

"Umm...no problem..." He stammered. Mikasa stood up and walked over to Eren.

"As for you, why weren't you paying attention? You stepped right off a damn cliff! The officials of the meet warned us ten minutes before the start to stay on the track. There were arrows. Where did you disappear to?" She asked.

Eren felt a pang in his chest, remembering in detail what had caused him to be late. He couldn't tell Mikasa. She was the last person he should tell. Jean cleared his throat.

"Sorry, I asked him to grab me a drink. I didn't know how far away it was or I wouldn't have. Sorry, it's my fault", he lied. Eren looked up, confused.

"Well...you got there on time, anyway. Just be more careful. This could have been a lot worse", she reprimanded. Eren nodded. Mikasa patted Jean's shoulder and headed for the door.

"I have a class in a few minutes. You should apologize again", she suggested, walking out.

When she'd gone, the room was silent for some time.

"You're welcome", Eren said.

"You're welcome too", Jean retorted.

"So...wanna tell me what you were doing with Mr. Ackerman that made you so late? He seemed kinda mad at you last I saw. You said something and he dragged you off".

Eren stared at the floor. He had to tell someone. Jean had already proven his loyalty, even when faced with Mikasa.

"Okay...I'll tell you. So...we've been sleeping together..."

Jean stared, wide eyes for a moment.

"Nevermind. I don't want to know", he shuddered.

Eren got hot with anger.

"You just asked! I told you, what did you think I was going to say?!" He shouted.

Jean sat up more in bed. His face was red with embarrassment.

"I just thought you were in trouble or something! Like, your grade dropped again and he gave you a lecture. I know Mikasa thinks she's your mom or something, so I thought you were avoiding her finding out about it. I didn't think you were bangin' the guy!"

Eren's blood chilled to ice the moment he said it so loud. He quickly looked at the door, hoping she was far enough away that she hadn't heard.

"Could you maybe keep it to a dull roar? She's gonna kill me if she finds out!" He whispered harshly.

Jean rolled his eyes. He shifted in bed and rubbed his head.

"Does that really hurt?" Eren asked softly.

"Yea...it really does", he sneered. The two men stayed quiet for a few minutes.

"Look...I don't need details. I'm...well in all honestly it kinda freaks me out a little. Two men together...I mean whatever, that's their thing. But it isn't my thing so it's not something I really talk about. So...if you need someone to talk to that's fine, just don't ask for advice or anything cuz this is already weird enough", Jean rubbed his eyes as he spoke. Eren smiled.

"It's like any other relationship, just with no girls involved", he explained. Jean closed his eyes and leaned back.

"There is actually something..." He began. Jean cracked an eye open.

"Don't be gross", he asked. Eren didn't react to the statement.

"It's just...he..." Unconsciously, Eren rubbed his face. He could still feel a slight tingle from Levi's palm.

"He...he got mad. He hit me", Eren said almost in a whisper. Jean looked alert now.

"Wow...I guess that sorta thing happens in gay relationships too..."

Eren narrowed his eyes.

"Yea, like I said, still people, still relationships, just no girl", he verified. Jean held his hands up in defence.

"Well...I don't think anyone should stay with a violent partner. If he did it once, he'll probably do it again. If you want my thoughts, you should probably end whatever it is you're doing", Jean said seriously.

Eren blinked. He thought he'd gone over ending it with Levi in his head. He thought he'd seen that as a possibility after what had happened. But hearing it now, from someone else made it way too real.

"I...I'm not sure if I can do that. I mean he's just so..."

"Scary? Yea, I told you that when you first pointed him out", Jean spoke. Eren shook his head.

"No, that's not what I mean. I mean when we do it, almost every time, he's desperate. It's like he needs it or he can't breathe. But when we are just hanging out or talking...I don't know, he seems like he just wants me to go on forever. Like he never wants me to end the conversation. I think he's afraid to be alone", Eren said. Jean shrugged.

"Have you spoken to him about it?"

"Well, he doesn't exactly add much to conversations and I never know how to bring it up. Whenever I start to ask questions he just kinda climbs on top of me and tells me to stop talking".

Jean punched the bridge of his nose.

"Too much?" Eren asked. A smile curled onto his mouth. Jean nodded.

"Well, fact is, you're going to have to talk to him at some point. Maybe you just need something to calm your nerves", he suggested. Eren thought about that.

"Maybe some tea, meditation, a quick shot of something", Jean went on. Eren perked up.

"Why, do you have something?"

"Will you promise never to speak to me about your sex life again?" Jean asked. Eren nodded vigorously.

"In my drawer, there's a bottle of whiskey. My brother gave it to me as a graduation gift, but after a sip I can't stomach it. I'm more of a rum guy, I guess. Anyway, if you get caught, you didn't get it from me", he said.

Eren laughed. The rest of his visit was more upbeat. As much as they didn't get along most days, Eren just could not bring himself to dislike Jean. He was pompous, annoying, and disliked most things Eren did and said. But that never stopped him from putting himself out there for him or standing up for him. Jean was an enigma that he always assumed just tolerated him due to his crush on Mikasa.

That night, Eren had found exactly where the whiskey was and drove with it in his lap as he made his way to Levi's house. He wasn't sure what exactly he was going to do. Should he break it off? Should he demand an explanation? Should he ask for some lable for what they were doing?

Sitting in Levi's driveway, he opened the bottle.

He took a long swig of the whiskey. Almost as soon as he drank it, he nearly coughed it right back up. It burned harshly every inch of his throat. He felt it travel all the way down to his stomach where the warmth flowed to his extremities.

"Might need one more...just to be safe..." He reasoned with himself.

000

Levi was drawn from his book at the sound of someone knocking at his door. It was a bit late for Eren to be over without being summoned or bothering to text him. He sighed and placed his book back in the shelf. More lazy knocking sounded before he made it to the door. Eren stood...non too steadily in the doorway.

"I need to talk to you!" He practically shouted. He reeked of alcohol.

"Very classy, Eren. What the hell are you doing drinking and driving underage? You looking to kill someone?" He asked sternly. Eren tried to focus his eyes.

"I didn't! You're lying, I drank a sip in the parking lot!"

"Driveway".

"My car was there, and me too", he stumbled into the house.

"How long were you just sitting out there?" Levi asked. Eren pulled up his fingers, trying to count them. They just kept...moving.

"Like...six?"

"Six...minutes?"

"Sips!"

"You took six shots of what I can only assume is bottom shelf whiskey in your car just now by yourself in my driveway?"

Eren giggled to himself.

"What?"

"You...", He couldn't contain a giggle, "you talk...sooo fast", he nearly fell over. Levi rolled his eyes.

"I don't even know what to do with you right now. You literally cannot leave", he said, vexed. Eren stood himself up as tall and steady as he could muster.

"You and I!" He said too loudly, "we are gonna talk about our relationship", he sputtered. Levi raised an eyebrow.

"Relationship?"

"But first...I'm gonna have my way with you. And!" He bent down to whisper-shout, "You're gonna like it!"

Levi smirked, now amused.

"Please. You couldn't keep it up if your life depended on it", he crossed his arms to his chest and leaned against the wall. Eren pointed a wobbly finger at Levi.

"You're pissing me off! Listen! I'm gonna fuck you till you beg for mercy!" He promised. Levi's eyebrows both raised.

"Oh, well in that case, bring it on, big boy", he prompted. Eren took one step towards Levi before immediately falling face-first into the hardwood floor. Levi shook his head.

"What a pity. Sounded like a good time", he sighed. He toed the young man with his socked foot.

"Hey...get off the floor. I really don't feel like carrying you. You smell like a tavern", he said. Eren let out a snort, turning his head. Levi's eyes twitched. He supposed this was payback enough for this morning at the track meet.

He bent down to try and move him. His body was essentially dead weight. He pulled his arms and legs up to his chest and hoisted him up.

"Come on, to the couch with you", he grunted. Eren nuzzled into Levi's chest, taking a deep breath.

"You...smell good", he mumbled.

"Don't you try to sweet talk me", Levi said. Eren smiled and inhaled Levi's scent again, sighing contently. Levi stopped his journey to the couch and glanced over to the staircase. He exhaled in irritation and looked down to Eren's drunken sleeping face. Making a decision he hoped he wouldn't regret, he backtracked and ascended the stairs to the bedroom.

000

Eren breathed evenly. His head was gently placed on a pillow, Levi not even attempting to remove his clothes. He would just change the sheets in the morning.

He climbed on his hands and knees above the young man. He looked down at him, memorizing his face.

"Who the hell do you think you are? Brat. Stumbling into my life like that. Maybe I wanted to be alone. Ever think of that?" He said, mostly to himself. Eren moaned peacefully in his sleep. Levi looked deflated.

"Better get a hangover tomorrow or I'll be pissed", he flicked Eren's cheek and took his shirt off. Wearing only sweatpants, he nestled himself next to his student. His warm body was comforting. He loved to sleep next to him for whatever reason. Tonight...he would attempt to sleep again. He had had problems as usual, but with Eren here, he felt slightly more comfortable sleeping. He just knew he'd have the dream again.

Levi wrapped his arm around Eren's waist. His eyes drifted shut and his breaths slowed and steadied.

000

Eren felt movement. He wrenched his eyes open, feeling Levi writhe next to him. Intense shaking rattled the bed as Levi went through another episode. Eren was still incredibly groggy and the room was spinning. He pushed himself up on his elbows and laid his upper body on top of the quivering man. The shaking began to slow. His body calmed quickly beneath him before eventually stopping altogether. Levi's arms clung to Eren, a sheet of sweat covering his entire body.

He slowly cracked his eyes open, feeling the secure weight of Eren's long body on top of him. He wiped his brow and stared up at the ceiling. He didn't feel like being sick. He didn't obsessively clean himself or his surroundings. He was, in fact, still sleepy. He allowed his eyes to close completely, embracing the freedom of not having the nightmare. The joy of peace of mind for once in his life.

He rubbed Eren's back with the tips of his fingers. The young man moaned contently as he deepened his sleep. Levi followed soon after.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Sunlight flowed into the bedroom through the curtains. A slight breeze wafted in from the cracked window. The early morning smell seasoned the breeze peacefully. Eren slowly opened one eye, watching the light beam brighten ever slightly on Levi's face. It would undoubtedly wake him soon. They were completely tangled with one another, Levi being a somewhat athletic sleeper and refusing to let him go the entire night.

But Eren's mouth was dry as pennies and he was starving. His head was still cloudy from the night before. He wasn't sure if they'd done it or not. Eren shivered at the thought of having sloppy drunk sex with someone as refined as Levi. It just wouldn't give him justice. Eren stared at his pale fave for a moment longer, brushing a stray ebony hair away.

As absolutely quietly and gingerly as he could, Eren unknotted himself from Levi. The older man groaned into his pillow and Eren froze. It was such a struggle. He finally broke free and crept out of the room. Down the stairs, he was able to quickly toss his clothes in the wash and borrow some sweats from Levi. He wasn't sure what he would disapprove of more; him borrowing clothes or wearing dirty ones.

Finding the kitchen, he went to the coffee maker straight away. Above the machine, in a cupboard, sat several brands of coffee. There were many from different countries. Eren turned up his nose.

"Dirty bean water", he mumbled. He grabbed a random bag and dumped a few tablespoons in the filter. He wasn't absolutely sure how to make it the way Levi preferred it, but something was better than nothing. Coffee couldn't be that easy to screw up.

He searched through the fridge when his stomach dropped. He hadn't brushed his teeth yet.

Looking up the long staircase, Eren hoped against hope that he could get this done before Levi decided to get up. He was already late. 7:45 am, his phone read. This was unheard of for Levi. Typically, he was up before the crack of dawn. He climbed the stairs without making a sound and slinked into the bathroom to rush through his morning routine.

000

Levi snuggled his face into his pillow. He filled his lungs and stretched his legs. Groping around for Eren, he felt the bed cold and empty. Peeking his eyes open, he was greeted to the sun shining on his face.

What time is it?

He glanced at his alarm clock. It hadn't been set in so long. He'd always woken up early or stayed awake the entire night, so it wasn't needed.

7:56am

Levi groaned, more than a little cranky that his bed pal of the evening had escaped. It had been so warm...so comfortable...

So safe.

He slid out of bed and remade the covers. Once every crease was out, he felt satisfied and went to the bathroom. There, his brain went off like a siren.

A dampness to the room suggested it had just been used. He tightened the hot water knob, stopping the slight drip. He ran a towel over the counter which had collected a puddle. Someone had been in a hurry to screw up his bathroom this way. Someone should have known better. His ire only rose as he glanced at his hand soap bottle which was a millimeter out of place.

"Incorrect..." His brain shouted. Levi almost had to use a different bathroom. His morning routine was just too fucked up at this point. He grimaced through showering and brushing his teeth, ceremoniously tossing it in the trash and opening a new one, putting it in the old ones place.

He dressed in his room, his body perking up as a delicious smell wafted up the stairs. He inhaled deeply. Eren was still in the house? After last night he wasn't sure if he'd have the nerve to stick around.

He padded down the stairs, rounding the corner into the kitchen. Very quietly, Levi heard music playing. Eren was at the stove, a steaming pan sizzling with eggs and sausage.

A glance told him a pot of coffee had already been made. He placed his fingers through the mug sitting next to the pot. Eren glanced over and jumped in surprise.

"OH! Good morning uhh...sorry, I was hoping to be done before you got down here. I know the kitchen is a little messy right now", he said quickly, pushing food around in the pan. Levi poured the coffee from the pot, staring at his mug as it flowed gently.

"The kitchen, bathroom, and entire trail you left is in complete disarray", Levi said, bringing the cup to his face to smell the steaming liquid. Eren laughed nervously.

Levi then trailed his eyes up and down Eren. His body came to life as he recognized the clothes he was wearing. He took a sip of coffee.

"You're awfully bold this morning", he said into the cup. Eren turned the stove off and plated the breakfast. He placed the plates at the kitchen table and began cleaning the dishes. Levi sat at the table.

"Just come sit down. Do those later", he said softly. Eren looked confused at him.

"Are...are you sure? I mean, it's dirty dishes in the sink", he said. Levi sipped his coffee again.

"Don't let me think about it, just sit down while this is still hot. It would be a shame if you couldn't enjoy it. I'm going to harass you enough after anyway", he warned. Eren smiled warmly and sat down. Levi grabbed a mug from the cupboard.

"Coffee?" He asked. Eren felt his face flush.

"Oh...uhh..no thank you", he said sheepishly. Levi gave him a questioning look. Eren sighed.

"Okay...I gotta be straight with you...I hate coffee", he said in a hushed voice. Levi blinked as if what he'd said just didn't compute.

Levi placed the pot back without looking at it.

"You asked me out for coffee...that was your ice breaker", He argued. Eren rubbed the table with his index finger.

"I sorta pulled it outa my ass because you were drinking it, so I figured you probably liked it. I thought once I had you somewhere I could order something else or convince you to go to a different place - which I did successfully, by the way", he recounted. Levi stared at Eren for a moment.

He'd been courting him this entire time and Levi hadn't once put it together. He was aware that Eren liked him. He knew Eren wanted special privileges with him.

But he didn't realize the lengths Eren had gone through to get to him. His feelings were far more involved than Levi had realized. He came at every call. He wanted to discuss relationships, he made him coffee, breakfast, was extra careful to make sure everything in his house remained just as he wanted it. He was more than aware of how anal he was over damn near everything and Eren hadn't complained about it a single time.

He hated to admit it, but Eren would actually make a great partner for someone.

For someone...

"So...I know last night was kinda weird. Honestly I don't even remember the end of it", Eren admitted.

"You passed out on the floor", Levi confirmed. Eren put his face in his palm.

"Okay, that's embarrassing. But I know what I meant to say last night. I want more. I tried to convince myself that maybe we wouldn't work, but I just can't believe that. I know what happened yesterday morning was..."

Levi winced. He had almost forgotten.

"I'm not perfect, Eren. I won't make excuses, but sometimes I can't keep it all in. I'm not someone you or anyone should be with romantically. I had my chance and it's gone now. You should find a man who will treat you better", he said coldly. Eren looked back down at the table. Both their plates were still untouched.

"I know you think that, but you're better than you know. Please, let me try. Let me try to show you that we could work...if you give us a chance", he pleaded.

"Let me be more than just a distraction from your demons. You can depend on me, you can talk to me..."

"Eren. I'm thirty five. You're nineteen. That's quite a difference. The entire part of my life I'm trying to forget is the same part you haven't even lived yet. Pick someone fresh. Someone who isn't damaged or ruined. Someone who wouldn't dream of hitting you", he said the last part as a whisper.

Eren shot up at the table.

"No, listen! You apologized for that, I completely forgive you! I'm not going to accept that you don't think you're good enough for anyone because I think you're perfect!" He spilled out. Levi stared, unblinking at him.

Eren moved from the table and approached Levi.

"Let me take you out tonight. Let me talk to you one on one, without school involved. Please", he asked. Levi took a step back, placing his coffee on the counter.

"I'm telling you, I'm no good, Eren. It's going to be your own fault when you're unhappy with me", he warned, not looking at him.

Don't come any closer...

"It's okay, Levi. I think you're amazing".

I can't...it's not fair...

Eren reached up to Levi's face. His cheeks were slightly flushed. His lips parted.

Stop...you're too gentle...

"Let me love you", Eren whispered. Levi felt his body tense as Eren closed the space between them. He felt soft lips caress his own. A warm body pressed against him.

Please...I can't do it...

"Eren..." Levi whispered into Eren's mouth. A strong arm wrapped around him. He wanted him. He wanted to let go. Wanted it so badly.

I can't do it...to her.

000

Eren felt something warm on his cheek. He pulled away gently and saw his eyes wide open. Tears fell so fast, it was as though they would never stop. He back away quickly. A sad smile graced Levi's lips.

"We can never be together. I'm not the answer to the questions you still have. Please leave...and do not come back", he said. He stepped to the side and walked out of the kitchen. Eren heard his footsteps going up the stairs and a door closing gently.

His heart was racing wildly. What had he done? Why was he fighting this so hard? Did he not make Levi happy? He'd thought for sure...if he'd give him a chance...

He hung his head for a moment, cursing the empty spot where Levi had been. The heat from his body still radiated against him. His fresh smell and the scent of his coffee still lingered.

"Fine then..." He choked. With a heavy heart, he gathered his dirty clothes from the washer, having forgotten to start it. He swapped quickly, putting Levi's clothes inside. He left the house quickly, looking back for just a moment.

Climbing into his car, he pulled away from the house, determined not to return.

He glanced at his phone and groaned. Sixteen missed calls from Mikasa.

He wasn't sure he could take her right now. Before he could put his phone away, she called again. He sighed heavily, choking back tears.

"What is it? I'm really not in the mood, so please don't tell at me for anything", he mumbled.

"Eren..." Came a sobbing voice on the other line. Now he was worried. He never saw Mikasa cry...not one time.

"What the hell happened? What's wrong?" He asked, now petrified.

"It's Mom and Dad..."

000

Levi stood in the middle of his bedroom. His eyes swollen from crying. Why him? Why did he have to be the one to talk to him that day? Why couldn't it have been some dumb young kid who would get frustrated with him right away and leave? Why did he have to make him feel this way? Why did he have to make him leave? Why did someone amazing have to show up?

He wiped his eyes and noticed something on the back of his hand. A small red circle stood out of place. He flipped his hand over to see his palm and his gut wrenched as his entire palm was glistening a deep red. His breathing quickened as he looked at his other hand.

He began to shake violently as he ran to the bathroom. He turned the sink on, the water as hot as possible and scrubbed his hands.

"It won't come off..." He cried through clenched teeth.

"Get off me!" He shouted. The sink was completely covered, dripping and stinking of copper. He swung open the cabinets and scrubbed the sink desperately. It wouldn't leave. The water was now rusty and dirty. He tried wiping the blood from his hands on a towel, but it wouldn't come up. It merely soaked the towel. He ran down the stairs to the kitchen where the sink was filled to the brim with bloody dishes.

"No...it's not real..." He whispered to himself. He sunk into the floor, hiding his eyes from what he was seeing.

Then he heard it. The crying. The cry of innocence. An infant screamed somewhere far away. He could feel it kick and squirm.

"SHUT UP!" He shouted. It would not stop. He sat in the corner of his kitchen, sobbing until darkness eventually clouded everything. The crying became distant. His vision went black.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Eren's knuckles were white as he stared down the road. The drive to his hometown had never taken this long before. He needed to go home and sort through his feelings. He couldn't see them...not yet.

His phone rang in his pocket. His brain switched on from what felt like autopilot. He picked it up.

"Please...just leave me alone. I'm going home", he said softly into the phone. Mikasa was putting on a brave face. She tried to speak logically. But logic wasn't what he wanted right now. He just wanted to curl up in his parents bed and smell them one last time. Look around their belongings and remember them.

"Eren...you shouldn't go home yet. We need to be present for the declaration of death, we need to claim them and set up their burial. I'm so sorry, but we don't have time to go home. I know you. You'll stay away for a long time. We have things to do first..."

Eren hung up.

He didn't want to hear it. Hell grieve how he wanted.

As he turned the corner to his family home, yellow tape littered his yard. He parked the car in the street and stepped out of it, staring wide-eyed at the place where he grew up. His entire life lay before him. He blinked in confusion. He did not recognized the house. It was so different.

His brain would simply not allow for recognition. Tears streamed down his face as his breath hitched in his chest. He picked up his phone and dialed Mikasa. She picked up right away.

"Eren! Are you okay?" She asked worriedly. Eren was quiet for a moment, attempting to find the words.

"Hey...the house burned down..."

000

A leaf fell on Eren's shoulder as he stared at the two stones before him. Fresh dirt rested beside them as the two people most important to him laid forever underneath. He sniffed and wiped his eyes for the hundredth time since this whole thing happened. His ears picked up someone speaking next to him.

"At least their kids are grown up. It probably makes it easier. Will they be able to sell the house?"

The other person sounded suddenly excited.

"You didn't hear? Their house caught fire the same day they were hit by that drunk driver! The police report said they left the stove on and must have gone to the store for something. Isn't that insane?! Life can really be so cruel", they continued whispering to one another. Eren wanted to punch them.

Several hands patted his back or shoulders. Mikasa's eyes never left her brother as he refused to greet or speak to any of them. She approached him and whispered into his ear.

"Do you want to go somewhere? Maybe a restaurant or something? Celebrate their life?"

Eren turned away.

"No. I want to go to sleep", he said as he headed towards his car. Mikasa did not stop him, nor did she say another word.

000

"Thank you for coming to my office, Eren. I appreciate that, in light of certain circumstances, you continue to further your education. It shows strength and integrity", Erwin said to him, folding his hands together in front of him.

"I...don't really have anyplace else to go...Sir", he confessed. Erwin cleared his throat.

"Yes, I've called you here for a few reasons; that being one of them. You are paid up to the end of the semester. After that...as far as lodging goes, I'm willing to do absolutely everything in my power to help you and steer you in the right direction", he assured. Eren smiled weakly.

"Thank you, Sir. We are trying to figure things out with the insurance company. Until then I'm not really sure what I'm going to do...get a job I guess", he mumbled. Erwin straightened his back for a moment.

"There are many options for you Eren, and each and every member of my faculty is here for you, should you need us. You need only ask", he said promptly. Eren nodded, his eyes downcast.

"Which...brings me to the next reason I called you here", he said, this time his face changed to that of worry.

"I've been aware of your...closeness with Mr Ackerman for some time now. His best efforts to hide it may have been prudent, but I know this man and the very moment I released him into you, he changed. It was obvious. This is completely confidential, mind you. No one else is to know of this conversation", he informed. Eren glanced away.

"For the last four days, he has not come in to work. I understand you were informed of your family tragedy exactly four days ago. Every attempt I've made to contact him has been met with short, seemingly forced responses. He won't answer his door nor my phonecalls. He only texts. Any information you could provide would help", he asked. Eren did not meet his eyes.

"To be frank, Mr. Erwin...I want nothing to do with that man. I'm afraid I have no information for you", he mumbled under his breath. Erwin didn't seem surprised by this.

"Please, Eren. I understand he's not the easiest person to get along with. But I worry about him", he tried. Eren stood up and pushed his chair in.

"With all due respect, I did my best with him. Now I'm done. I have no more to give", he said, turning and walking out of the room.

Erwin sat back in his chair and brought his fingers to his lips. He took his phone out of the drawer in his desk.

"Levi, it's been four days. Please come in and talk to me. Or give me proof you've gotten some kind of help".

He sent the text and set the phone on his desk. He waited only a few seconds before his text sound went off. Erwin glanced and saw the message.

"I'm fine"

This had been the only thing he'd said for the entirety of the four days. Over and over, he said one thing only.

"I'm fine"

"Idiot. Just answer you damned door. Quit making this so difficult", Erwin felt a momentary laps in his calm exterior. He needed to figure out who could get to him. He was still answering texts. That, at least was a good thing.

000

White. Ceiling.

Levi's body was heavy...so heavy.

Breathe now. In. Out. In. Out.

White. Ceiling.

*Ping*

Glance over...Erwin...

"I'm fine"

He was not fine.

Should I move? Should I eat? No...no...

The floor is hard. It's uncomfortable. Go to bed? No...no...

So thirsty...

Levi lifted his body from the bathroom floor. It weight five hundred pounds. He trudged downstairs. He didn't want to go. The dishes were still there.

Fill glass...drink...eat? No.

He put the glass on the counter. When he turned, it fell, shattering into a thousand pieces. He did not turn around.

Couch...lay down. Smells like him.

Levi closed his eyes, sinking deeply into the cushion. He held it tightly, as if it were him. Why did he go away?

"Oh...I told him to", he mumbled.

He turned over.

He glanced at the coffee table.

Long...brown...rope...

No...no...

000

The bar was noisy. Everything was annoying here, but he felt oddly at ease. He didn't have to hear himself think. People bumped into him accidently and his entire body tensed up.

He spent a few hours alone, listening to drunk people chatting away and old country music. He was sure he'd be kicked out soon. It was nearly nine.

"That's quite a face you have there", came a gruff voice from beside him. Eren looked into two baggy blue eyes.

"Please, I don't want to talk to anyone", Eren attempted to say without his voice cracking. He desperately prayed he wasn't being hit on.

"Oh, that's too bad. Here I was about to make you an interesting proposition. You know you look like one of those guys.. ya know, wha'do'ya call'em?"

He smacked the table.

"Natural born warrior. And I mean that. You look like you're ready to punch someone's lights out, am I right?" The man chuckled. Eren sighed, not sure what he was getting at. He took a sip of his soda, letting the glass clink on the table.

"What do you want?" He asked, irritated. The pudgy man sat down at Eren's table. His outfit, though attempting to look expensive, was clearly thrown together from the clearance bin at some downtown business attire shop. His white hair was greased back and his mustache unkept. He looked like a cartoon villain.

"I'm looking for very specific individuals and kid, I gotta tell ya, you perfectly match exactly what I'm looking for", he began, laying on as much charm as he could. Eren was curious to know just how much he was being played.

"Okay", he breathed.

"I can't say this too loud, ya know, but I happen to be a part of a prestigious group of people who opporate a confidential club of sorts. It's very interesting, you could make lots of money!" He attempted to entice. Eren pushed air from his lips in disbelief.

"Sure, please continue", he joked. The man reached his hand across the table, a huge smile on his face.

"Names Sid, and I can tell you're thinking, "this guy's off his rocker," right? Just hear what I have to say, it's up to you, make the choice and if you say no, I'll be outa here, you'll never hear from me again. Sound like a deal?"

Eren stared at the man's hand.

"What is the name of this club?" He asked. The older man kept his hand outstretched, seemingly not deterred.

"It's a club of fighters we call "Down Under" and I think it's got your name written all over it. There will be fighting, girls, money, whatever the fuck you want. And I can get you there. Trust me kid, I think you're just angry enough to make some good money. And if you're good enough, you might be lucky and someone will pick you up as a sponsor. Shake my hand, and I'll take you there right now. No risk to you, we go, you fight, make money. All strictly under the table you understand", he smiled.

Eren opened his mouth to speak, but everything Renji said came rushing back. Down Under...

"What if we get there and I say no?" He asked. Sid shook the idea away with a flick of his wrist.

"Oh, obviously you go about on your business. You sign a clause of silence and you're good to go. Easy peasy", he said happily.

Eren hesitated for a moment. Finally he grabbed Sid's hand, throwing all caution to the wind.

"I have nothing to lose" he decided. Sid smiled darkly.

"That's what I like to hear, kid".


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Phones ringing in the background were a dull sound to Ichigo. An ever constant reminder of life's monotonous droll. He poured himself some coffee, thinking about what he'd seen the night before. He wasn't sure how much longer he'd be asked to stay undercover. After Aisen, he worried he'd be recognized.

"Ichigo, good morning. Any updates on Sid?" One of his fellow officers asked. He was so interested in the fighting arena, it almost bothered Ichigo.

He sipped his coffee.

"Saw him recruit a new one last night. Poor kid. He looked real young. They walked out together so I didn't get a chance to try and steer him away", he said into his cup. The other officer was about to say something when a young lady at the front desk started speaking emotionally.

"Please, my brother is missing, do you know anything about this person?" she asked, showing the female officer a photo. The officer looked at the image for a second.

"What's the name of the missing person?" She questioned. The young woman sniffed and wiped her eyes.

"His name is Eren Jaegar. He never came back to his dorm last night and won't even answer my texts. Please, he stopped contact yesterday morning, I haven't seen him since", she pleaded.

"What's his age?" The officer asked, typing on her computer.

"He'll be twenty in a couple weeks", she answered. The officer typed a little longer, her fingers moving quickly.

"Since he's over the age of 18, I can't declare him missing until he hasn't been seen for forty eight hours. You can post his picture on social media if you like, but I can't send a team yet", she informed. The young woman looked extremely dissatisfied with this information.

"Please, I know him! It isn't like him to just ignore everyone like this. Ordinarily I wouldn't be so worried, but we just had a major tragedy in the family and...I'm worried he might hurt himself", she said, tears welling in her eyes.

Ichigo raised an eyebrow. He walked over to the young woman and took a glance at the picture. His eyes widened somewhat. It was the kid. For some reason he looked even more familiar when he got a closer look.

"I made copies", the girl sniffed. Ichigo nodded and accepted the picture.

When he made it home that evening, he took the picture out of his pocket and looked at it again. Where did he know this kid from?

He opened the door to Renji laying on the floor, his baby girl up in his long arms. She was giggling her little socks off as she was tossed up and down.

"Welcome home, officer! Mama returns in half an hour. She went to the store to pick up some diapers and baby stuff", he said happily, snuggling with Ichigo's daughter. It had been nearly a year since Ichigo had married Rukia. Little Emera was a perfect split of the two of them.

"Thanks, Renji. I'm actually going to Down Under tonight. Sid picked up a new one. I think he's a bait. Fits the profile."

Renji cringed.

"Poor kid. Hope he makes it out", Renji said sadly. Ichigo looked at the picture again. The familiarity was driving him crazy. Renji looked over his shoulder, baby Em sucking on his chin.

"Why do you have a picture of Eren?" He asked. Ichigo's shoulders tensed.

"Eren? Where do you know him from?" He asked, suddenly worried.

"That's Levi's...well, to be honest I'm not sure what they're doing. But I know he must mean something to him...why?" Renji started to put it together.

"Go down to Down Under. They've probably been prepping him all night, so see if you can stop his intro. Get in contact with Levi. You know as well as I do that guy is not going to be happy about this", he said quickly, grabbing his baby.

Renji nodded and bolted for the door.

000

Levi sat at his kitchen table. His head buried in his arms.

"What the hell am I doing?" He asked himself. The dishes in the sink were starting to smell. He had glass in his feet, his door had been banged on numerous times. He was causing problems.

"So pathetic. Can't live, but can't kill yourself. What exactly can you do?"

He stared at the picture on the table, tear stains marring the perfect image.

"I'm sorry", he choked. His phone went off again. He sighed.

"Erwin you do not give up..." He thought. He looked at the phone and inhaled deeply when he saw the name. He picked it up for the first time in nearly a week.

"Renji?" He asked into the phone. The voice on the other end, though indeed was Renji, wasn't the Renji he remembered. He'd never heard Renji so serious.

"Thank goodness, this is still your number. Levi, we have a problem", he said quickly. Levi groaned. He didn't know what he could possibly do to help in his current state.

"Eren was taken in by Sid Sadler. He's been recruited as a bait fighter", he said, seemingly breathless.

Levi was at a loss. He couldn't think.

"I'm on my way now, but I might need help getting him out. I need you to meet me at Down Under. We will figure everything else out from there", he explained.

"Okay", he whispered, hanging up. Levi stood, taking a deep breath. He placed his hands under his kitchen table and lifted it into the air. It crashed loudly into the wall, busting a large hole. Levi grabbed his toaster, coffee maker and utensil holder, catapulting each one into the walls of his kitchen.

He punched a dent into his fridge and grabbed the side, throwing it over as well. Sparks flew and, adding one final measure, he smashed a chair into the kitchen sink, cracking and breaking the dishes inside.

"Fuck you!" He screamed at the kitchen before grabbing his phone and heading towards the door.

He jumped into his car and sped out of the driveway.

"Idiot. He's a God damned idiot! Even if I leave you alone you get in trouble", he growled. He headed straight for the fighting arena, realizing he was about to relive a part of his life he'd tried to forget.

000

Eren yawned. It had been nearly twenty four hours since he'd gotten to Down Under. Sid made him sit through a lot of fights, take his measurements, get a quick few hours of sleep on possibly the sketchiest couch he'd ever seen, and now was waiting for his turn to fight.

He sat on the ground as people did a variety of illegal and dirty things all around him. He supposed he shouldn't have been surprised. But despite knowing full well that mostly criminals and bad people frequented this place, it still upset him greatly that things were happening all around him. The place was separated like the Titanic. Crowds of well dressed, wealthy looking people stood up top, placing bets on fighters. The scum were down below. They placed bets too, but they also sold drugs, did drugs, fought each other indiscriminately, and behaved in an all around nasty way.

Eren was lucky enough to be in the trenches, waiting with the brutes and druggies just trying to win some money.

"Eren, you're up kid!" Sid called from the platform just above him.

"I'm not sure anymore...I'm feeling kinda sick. Can I do this after I've actually slept?" He asked. This was not at all what Eren had expected. He hadn't realized a place as huge and deafening as this could actually exist underground without the police stepping in to stop it. He thought it was just a small bar like setting with a couple guys fighting each other. This was massive and chaotic.

"No can do, kid. You fight now. So get in there!" He called. Just before he could say something else, a huge man with a beard and tattoos stepped up to Eren and laughed directly in his face.

"I'm gonna feel bad beating this guy up. How am I supposed to get a sponsor fighting this little thing. He looks like he wants his mommy", he taunted. Eren's eyebrow twitched.

"Try not to get any of your blood on me when I punch your nose in, asshole, wouldn't want to catch anything or get a contact high", he shouted. The other man smirked menicingly and headed for the arena.

"That's the spirit, kid! Go getum!" Sid laughed. It sounded grotesque and was mixed with a smokers cough. Eren sulked. What did he mean about getting a sponsor? Was Eren supposed to lose this?

He walked out into the arena and the crowd, somehow, got ten times louder. Eren instinctively covered his ears. Over an impossibly loud speaker, a male voice came on.

"The bait is out, and we are ready! Bakken in the corner has been a fan favorite for a few weeks. Now he's going to try his sponsor fight. Pay close attention sponsors, this might be your guy!"

Eren shivered.

"Sid!" He shouted over to the man who caused all this.

"What's a bait fighter?" He asked. Sid shook his head.

"Don't worry about it kid! Just try not to lose any teeth!" He shouted. Eren felt his stomach churn. Just as he turned to look at his opponent, a fist smashed into his face, knocking him back.

Screams erupted from the crowd. Eren heard a slight ringing as he tried to place what had just happened. Bakken laughed and enjoyed the attention.

Eren spat blood on the floor.

"Please, my sister punches harder", he chuckled. It wasn't a lie. Mikasa would probably beast this guy. Bakken coughed a laugh.

"You'd better watch your words, little man. I can either break your face or beat on the rest of ya. You have a pretty face, so choose wisely", he taunted. Eren stood up and shot himself straight for his opponent. He thrust his fist forward and managed to land a jab straight to his stomach. Unfortunately, it didn't seem to bother him all that much. Now, Eren was close to him, Bakken grabbed him by his hair and began relentlessly battering his stomach and chest. Eren gagged as the air was knocked out of him.

Just before Eren felt he would pass out, another fist came hurtling into Bakken's face, sending him flying backwards. His body crashed into the ground and Eren doubled over, a large body looming over him. He glanced up, wincing and holding his stomach.

Renji patted his back, smiling wide.

"Made it to ya!" He shouted playfully. Eren could not, absolutely could not believe what was happening.

"Hey! That's against the rules!" Bakken shouted, holding his bruised face. Suddenly, fighters started hopping the fence, piling into the arena. The announcer sounded overhead.

"It looks like we have a rule breaker! You all know what that means!"

The crowd, together, shouted.

"Free. For. All!"

The sound was booming, giving Eren the creeps. Renji stood protectively in front of Eren. Most fighters recognized him and kept their distance, talking amongst themselves.

"That's Abarai. He's been missing for months, I thought he was dead"

"If I can knock him out, I'll for sure get a sponsor. Dibs!"

"Get him if you can, I'll knock you out, bitch!"

Eren groaned. Renji now had a target on his head.

"Renji, get the hell out, those guys are out for your blood!" He shouted. Renji laughed loudly.

"Yea, we're really in a pickle, huh!?" He laughed louder. Eren realized now that he had made a huge mistake by coming here. He was not the type of person to be here. The huge smile on Renji's face was proof enough only crazy people like him could survive here.

The fighters stalked ever forward, Renji crossed his arms to his chest, not moving from in front of Eren. Suddenly, and without warning, every fighter stopped. The entire arena went silent, like everyone had seen a ghost at the same time. Eren looked to where every eye was staring.

His eyes widened as Levi Ackerman walked calmly into the arena. He stood next to Renji, creating a terrifying protective barrier around Eren. Voices began speaking all at once. The excitement had completely changed.

The fighters all looked significantly paler and more afraid than before.

"Is that...is that Ackerman?"

"No way, man, I choose to keep my limbs"

"Nope, Renji would have been hard enough, I'm not dealing with that psychopath"

"Holy shit, I thought he was like, in Mexico or something"

Levi looked bored as he stared at the crowd.

"Heh, pussies", Renji mocked under his breath.

Levi sighed. He looked at Eren, his eyes not nearly as angry as he would have expected. They were worried...tired.

Bakken reached behind his back, flashing a shining metal object in his hand and pointing it directly at Levi's head. Eren's eyes widened with shock.

"What the fuck man!?" The younger shrieked.

"Uh, oh, looks like Bakken managed to sneak a weapon into the arena. Ordinarily contraband like this is grounds for an automatic loss. But the free for all stands! So it's a legal move!"

Levi stared into Bakken's eyes, unmoving and still with the same bored expression.

"Cool as a cucumber", Renji commented. Eren was taken aback.

Bakken stared into Levi's dark eyes.

"I am about to be famous when I end you, fucker", he threatened. Levi took a small step closer.

"Don't miss"


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Eren shook as Levi stood in front of him, keeping himself in between Eren and the business end of death. He wanted to cry out, to get him to run...but he couldn't find his voice. Renji looked focused, though not all together worried. He didn't move from where he stood. Bakken held his glare into Levi's cold eyes.

"Are you crazy or something? Everyone else is scared of your scrawny ass, but I can't tell why. You're nothing special. You're just another victim", he said with a small amount of fear.

Although seemingly no stronger than Eren, given his shorter stature and thin build, Levi looked exotic and mysterious. His black hair and grey eyes were odd to him. His deep voice almost didn't match his body.

"Get down on your knees and apologize. I'll consider not blowing your brains out", he threatened. Levi's gaze shifted for a moment to Eren who was badly bruised and bloody. He looked at him for only a moment before facing Bakken once more.

"I haven't fought in years. I thank you for giving me the opportunity to save my worthless life", he said, stretching his arms and cracking his neck. Bakken took a small step back.

"Quit that shit, just get on your knees, I said. That's all you're allowed to do".

Levi sensed it. The weakness. The hesitation. This was no murderer. He wondered if there were even bullets in that gun. Bakken held the weapon with both hands now, his arms extended in front of him. That was the moment Levi chose. He crouched down to his knees, Renji looking with amusement, Eren with bewilderment.

Just as his knee touched the ground, Levi sprang up, gripping his right hand and shoving upwards into his elbow, hearing a loud *snap* causing the gun to go tumbling from his grip. It hit the ground where Renji picked it up, unloaded the cartridge, and tossing it back onto the ground, kicking it away.

Bakken's screams of pain chilled the audience. Levi stood over his quivering form, looking down into him with a dark shadow behind his eyes.

"You hurt someone I'm fond of. I don't appreciate that", he hissed before planting his foot into Bakken's nose, crushing it instantly. Blood poured from his face as he cried for mercy.

The other fighters were all grimly reminded of Levi's fighting capabilities as they watched the brutality. Eren looked up at Renji.

"Why is he doing that?" Eren asked. Watching it almost made him sick. This was a side to Levi he never wanted to see.

"Most people come here for money. Some come because they are bored. Some come here because they want to belong somewhere..." Renji began. He looked around at the terrified faces around him, listened to the excited crowd.

"I think Levi just came here because he wanted to hurt people", he said, his eyes downcast. Eren felt tears welling in his eyes. This was too much. This wasn't Levi. This wasn't curl up with a book on rainy days Levi. This wasn't sip coffee and snuggle under a blanket Levi. This wasn't "hold me at night to protect me" Levi. So who was it? Who the Hell was this monster in front of him masquerading as the man he had fallen in love with?

That moment of truth hit Eren harder than any of Bakken's punches. He was indeed in love with Levi. He knew it. Somewhere along the lines he'd figured it out but never really thought too hard about it. It had just fallen into his lap.

Fresh hot tears streamed down his face. So this was pain. This was the life Levi had lived. This was what he'd wanted to keep from him. He was right. Eren couldn't handle it.

Levi's beating came to a halt when Renji placed a hand on his shoulder. He glanced back and noticed Eren slumped over, staring at the ground with utter defeat in his eyes. He sighed.

"Please carry him, Renji", he requested. Renji nodded and helped Eren up, careful not to jostle his ribs or stomach. He folded the young man's arm around his shoulders and held him up to walk him out. Levi walked behind them, ensuring they were not followed. He made one final glance at Bakken's body. His broken bones and deflated ego were likely going to heal. He couldn't have cared less.

The walk to Levi's car was strange. The sun was just barely peeking over the horizon. Morning had come faster than Eren had expected. Though being underground for so long made him confused, unable to tell what time it was. Renji patted Levi's back and squeezed Eren's shoulder before calling Byakuya and getting into his own car.

Eren was quiet. He sat in Levi's car with his knees to his chest.

"Do you want to go to the hospital?" Levi asked. Eren shook his head. They sat in complete silence for a long while. Neither had any idea what to say to the other.

"Why the hell would you go there? What were you thinking?" Levi finally asked. Eren looked out the window.

"I just..." He choked. He didn't even know how to feel. Was he still hurting over the loss of his family and home? Was he hurting over Levi? He was just so tired.

Levi's phone rang. He looked at the caller and got up, stepping out of the car, though he left the door open.

"Erwin...yes, I'm alright. I understand...actually I have him with me. He got into a little trouble, but he's safe. You can relay that to her...oh...no obviously I did not know that...I'm sorry, I'll make sure to keep you more informed in the future...yes, I'll need a few more days to sort it out...okay, thank you",

Eren knew what Erwen had told him. It wasn't hard to figure out. Levi sat back into the car and shut the door. He took a deep breath and started the car. Eren looked at him in question.

"Where are we going?" He asked. Levi adjusted the rear view mirror and and looked over to Eren.

"Is anything broken?" He asked. Eren shook his head. "I thought maybe a rib, but I think maybe I'm okay", he answered. Levi nodded and backed out of the parking lot.

"Okay. Just hang tight for a bit. I want to show you something", he said quietly.

Eren tried to say "okay" but when he tried, it came out as a sob. He put his face in his hands and everything finally came rushing out. Levi laid a comforting hand on his leg, rubbing gently. The car ride was emotionally releasing, all the pent up sadness, frustration and anger finally came out in a torrent of cries, hiccups, and sniffles. Eren knew he had to get it out, but he hadn't realized how good it felt to finally let it go.

The car pulled into a cemetery, the long road around the gravesites. Eren felt a little uncomfortable. What could he possibly need to show him here?

"I don't understand..." He said softly. Levi parked the car and got out, not saying a word. Eren followed suit, holding his stomach. They walked through the grass as Levi scanned the graves. Finally they stopped at one. Levi looked at it, his hands in his pockets.

Eren looked at the name on the grave and his eyes widened.

"Petra...Ackerman?" He read. Levi stared at the headstone.

"My wife..." He explained.

Eren stared at him. He had been married? Someone like him?

"You...oh..." He said. Not sure what to do with this information, Eren stood in silence. Levi eventually spoke again.

"We were walking to the movies. Some punks came out at us to mug us. We complied, mostly for her sake. I didn't want any trouble for her. After we handed over our wallets, one of them decided it wasn't enough. They started pawing at her...so I punched him in the face, knocking him out, obviously. Well, this scared his friend, so he pulled a gun on me. I've been shot. Guns don't scare me", he got quieter and quieter as he kept speaking.

"So he shot me", he said, bringing his hand up to his side. Eren had noticed the scar, but it had been waves away so quickly.

"It grazed my side...i heard something weird behind me so I turned around..."

Eren knew were this story was headed. Levi wasn't able to articulate what had happened, so he moved on.

"We had been trying to get pregnant for two years. We were going out to the movies to celebrate her finally conceiving. It started out as the best day of my life. It quickly became the worst", he said darkly. Eren felt a chill run up his spine.

"I'm...I'm so sorry, Levi..."

Levi took a moment to compose himself before continuing.

"Sid Sadler found me drinking my life away in a Bar a few days later. The guy who shot my wife got his friend and said they were going "down under" to lay low. You can imagine my gleeful excitement when Sid told me he could take me there", I accepted right away. I was given the title as bait fighter. Evidently I look harmless. I crushed skulls, broke bones, and ruptured organs looking for those two, but I never found them. Months into this, I was informed I needed to try and lose to help get money for my many sponsors. I didn't care about them or the money", he said. Eren listened intently.

"Eventually, I found him", he said. His eyes became dark.

"What did you do?" Eren asked bravely. Levi looked into his eyes.

"Well...whatever I did didn't make me feel better. It made me feel worse. After, I left down under and never looked back", he said. He took a hand out of his pocket and fidgeted with his ear.

"I had just gotten the job as a teacher at the University a few weeks prior to the incident, and I assume that if Erwin hadn't been an old friend of mine, I wouldn't still have it now", he admitted. Eren leaned down in front of the tombstone, brushing his fingers over her name.

"It still haunts you..." He whispered.

Levi clicked his tongue in his mouth, as though it weren't a big deal. He was clearly trying to keep Eren from pitying him.

"Either way, I just can't...I can't be with anyone. I'm married to her, and although she's dead, having a relationship with anyone other than her...feels dirty to me. I'm sorry, Eren. You deserve someone wonderful who will cherish you as I cherished Petra. My nightmares are not your burdens to bear. Please have a fulfilling life and leave me to my own. I'll find a way to deal with it..." He said sadly. He then turned and walked away. Eren watched him leave, his eyes wide.

The drive home was entirely silent. He stepped out of Levi's car and said nothing. Levi, in turn also said nothing.

The campus appeared to be a ghost town. Noon was chilly, brown leaves crunched under his feet as he walked in a daze to his dorm. When he opened the door, Jean wasn't there yet. He sighed in relief and fell heavily into his bed. He heard murmurs outside the door and let his curiosity get the better of him, though he was extremely tired.

He cracked open his door and looked to see Jean and Mikasa.

"Look, I have seven applications today and I'll get ten more tomorrow. I've already applied for three apartments", Jean said passionately, holding papers in front of Mikasa's face. She had clearly been crying.

"Why are you doing this, Jean? Eren and I are not your responsibility", she asked in a cracked voice.

"Because in a couple months, you two will have no place to live and clearly Eren isn't in the right state of mind to figure things out. So until then, I'm going to do everything I can to ensure you two are safe and don't have to go anywhere", he said with confidence. Mikasa sighed.

"I don't understand why. It's a family matter, you don't have to interfere", she said. Eren winced for Jean.

"I'm...I'm sorry if you feel I'm interfering. But I will not let the woman I love suffer. He's the only family you have left so I'll do everything to make you happy whether you want me or not. Because at the end of the day...even if you deny me a hundred times...I still want to see a smile on your face", he said with conviction. Mikasa looked at him with glossy eyes. He stood closer to her, his heart pounding in his chest.

"Now...if you don't mind, I'm going to follow up on a place for you guys to live. I'm sorry, you'll have to live with me since it's going to take all three of us to afford this", he said. Mikasa suddenly grabbed Jean by the shirt, pulling him into an embrace. She wept into his shoulder and he held her tightly.

"It's going to be okay...I promise", Jean whispered to her.

"I just need to know he's okay, Jean...Erwin said he was found, but u don't even know what that means. Was he okay? Is he hurt? Where did he go?" She cried. Jean combed through her hair as she cried. Eren opened the door fully and took a few steps out. Jean looked up at him and his face filled with a mixture of anger and relief.

"Eren", he said softly. Mikasa pushed gently away from Jean and looked behind her. Her eyes widened with shock as she rushed to him, crashing into him painfully. He grunted as his ribs cried out in pain.

"Hey, watch it!" He choked. As if she hadn't heard him, she smacked him hard across the face.

"WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU?! ASSHOLE I WORRIED MYSELF SICK!" she cried. She then looked at his battered face and body.

"What happened to you? Did...did Levi do this?" She growled. Eren shook his head.

"It's a long story, and I promise I'm not going to disappear again...but I have to go", he hurriedly spoke. Jean blinked.

"You're kidding, right? We looked for you for two days and even after we were told you'd been found, you still never picked up the damn phone", he chastised. Eren looked at his cellphone from out of his pocket.

"It died a while ago I guess. But listen...you two just made me realize something. I'm so so sorry I worried you two. But there's something I need to do. I'll charge my phone in the car and keep in touch", he promised, jogging away. Jean was about to reach out and grab him, but Mikasa stopped him.

"No...let him go. He's safe", she whispered. Her right chest finally loosened. Her body relaxed.

"Are you kidding? After everything that just happened? He owes you for the grief he caused!" Jean argued. Mikasa shook her head and smiled.

"No...I think he's okay. Whatever happened to him...he's better now", she said. They watched his retreating form quietly, realizing they now had much to discuss.

000

Eren pulled up to a flower shop. He had no idea what to get or if flowers were even appropriate. He knew different types meant different things, which was unnecessarily confusing. He stomped up to the front, unsure of himself, but determined to go through with it.

"Excuse me!" He said too loudly to the lady at the register.

The girl jumped.

"Y-yes?" She asked sheepishly.

"I need flowers", he stated. The girl looked around the store.

"Well...good. we sell those here!" She exclaimed happily. "What kind would you like?"

Eren took a deep breath.

"What says "I don't care how fucked up you are just let me love you, damnit?"

The girl looked as though she wasn't at all surprised by the question.

"At least a dozen red roses should do the trick. Chocolates, dark, may also be a good idea", she chimed. Eren bought it, uncaring of the cost (which was high) and rushed out the door.

He drove the agonizingly long way to Levi's house, but stomped on the breaks half a mile away.

"Shit", he cursed.

Turning around, he rushed to get a pizza. It took entirely too long and he had no idea what type Levi would want. Asking the same question to the pizza last that he asked to the flower lady, Eren ended up with veggies.

Standing on Levi's doorstep, he rang the bell. His heart pounded heavily in his chest. The door opened after a thousand years of agony. Levi stood in the doorway. He looked truly shocked that Eren was there, holding confectionery.

"Look...I know things are rough. I know you have a lot to deal with. But there's no way your wife would have wanted you to suffer for her", he said. Levi blinked.

"I'm not her, and I get that. I'm young, and I get that too. But I'm going to keep trying to make you happy, even if you don't want to be together. Because when you love a person...it doesn't matter if you're with them or not. To see them smile is enough...and I want to see it...I want to see you happy", he said. Levi looked at the roses and gave Eren a smirk.

"Those are not coming in my house", he said. Without skipping a beat, Eren dropped the roses on the ground and accepted a fierce kiss from Levi, feeling his arms wrap around his neck as he held the other two items in each arm.

"Get in here", Levi demanded, whispering into Eren's lips.

"Okay"


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

The house smelled different than usual. It wasn't stinking of bleach or other cleaning products. In fact it didn't smell like much of anything. As Levi walked ahead of him, he turned into the living room.

"Don't you want to eat in the kitchen?" He asked. Levi looked at the ceiling for a moment.

"The kitchen is...out of commission currently", he put simply. Eren shrugged, not needing any elaboration. He set the food on the coffee table and noticed a few, rather discomforting items.

"You uhh...had a rough couple days, huh?" He asked. Levi, in all honesty, had forgotten most of the last few days. He seldom went through really rough patches, but when he went through them, they were draining.

"Sorry...I guess I should have cleaned up", he said quietly. Eren was flabbergasted. Levi was completely out of sorts and a part of him felt responsible. He placed the chocolate down and hurried out of the room. Levi sat on the floor with his knees to his chest, waiting.

A distant and muffled "what the..." Was heard from the kitchen. Levi shook his head. There was no hiding that mess. Eren came back with all four chairs from the kitchen, on of them a little banged up. He sat them rather far apart from one another and rummaged through the ottoman, pulling out several blankets. He laid a white one down on the floor in between all of the chairs. He then threw the remainder of the blankets over the chairs, stepping back to marvel at his work.

"A fort?" Levi questioned. Eren smiled at him.

"Don't say shit about a mess after what I just saw. Now get in", he demanded. Levi arched an eyebrow.

"You're kidding", he said, not understanding. Eren opened a part of the blanket and pulled a small flashlight out of his back pocket.

"Found this too. Please get in. Bring the pizza", he instructed. Levi sighed. There was no point in arguing. As he got down on his hands and knees, Eren pulled his phone out and started pecking at it, setting it up outside the fort. It started sounding like heavy rain.

Levi nestled himself into the fort. It was just tall enough for him to sit up straight without needing to slouch. Once he was inside, he stated to feel a strange warmth in his stomach. Eren eventually followed him inside, shutting the "door" and turning the flashlight on. He opened the box and pulled out a slice of veggie pizza, offering it to Levi.

"What are we doing?" Levi asked.

"Hiding", Eren answered.

"From?" Came his rebuttal. Eren was quiet for a moment.

"Whatever it is you're scared of, I guess", he said into his own slice. Levi stared blankly at Eren. The young man was a smidgen taller than him, so his head barely touched the blanket ceiling, causing him to duck his head slightly. Levi was confused.

"I don't understand", he admitted. Eren had bitten into his food and chose to chew fully before speaking.

"Your house is too familiar. There's too much going on...stuff that stresses you out. But this is the fort. The fort is safe. No one can get you in the fort, it's impenetrable", he said proudly.

"It's blankets", Levi argued.

Eren shook his head.

"No, obviously physical stuff could come in like people or animals, even bugs. But nightmares, ghosts, demons, and monsters are all banished from the fort. It's a safe place from the stuff that bothers you", he said. Levi trailed his fingers through the white blanket they were sitting on. This was ridiculous...so why was it helping?

The longer they stayed in the fort, the more comfortable Levi became. Something about being in such a small space alone with him made him feel protected...guarded. Levi was the most physically capable person he knew. Yet his own mind tormented him regularly. There was no escaping himself.

He indulged in the pizza, finally eating something real after so many days of surviving off water and the occasional snack item he would pick at here and there - mostly crackers.

"What was she like?" Eren asked out of the blue. Levi was caught off guard. He looked away for a moment.

"I'm...not sure I want to talk about her", he said softly. Eren scooted closer to him, resting his head on his shoulder.

"That's okay. I was just curious. I bet she was lovely...and probably amazing to deal with you", he chuckled. Levi looked at his own legs, trying to recall something to tell him.

"Petra was...she was beautiful", he remembered. Eren closed his eyes.

"She had auburn hair...honey brown eyes...and a voice that almost always sounded like she was smiling, if that makes sense", he noted. Eren nodded, remaining silent.

"Why are you so interested?" He asked. Eren shrugged his shoulders.

"I'm not sure. I guess I just feel like you never really got to grieve properly. You and I both know that if this is going to work, you have to close the chapter. I'm not resting until your mind is clear and you can breathe again. Letting yourself think about her without having a panic attack or being sad might help", he explained.

"You're so idealistic and naive", Levi smiled. Eren chuckled.

"In all honestly, I have no idea what I'm talking about", he laughed.

The rest of the afternoon was spent in the fort. Eren would step out for a moment to grab something or pee and Levi began to feel truly at peace.

When the pizza was finished, they slid it out of the fort as though it just vanished and neither of them had to worry about actually throwing it away.

"What will you do? You only have a few months before your time in the dorm is up. Have you made any plans for that?". Levi asked, laying on Eren's chest. Eren sighed.

"Apparently I have a few options. When I went to the bathroom, I texted Mikasa to tell her I was alright and she informed me that she had been in contact with the insurance company. There's not a whole lot of hope there because they might file it under negligence, but we might be getting a brand new house out of this...not that we would be able to afford it", he said softly. Levi listened to his heart beat softly in his chest. His voice sounded like a distant rumble through his body.

"Will you get any of the money from selling it?"

"I imagine we will get whatever isn't still owed to the bank", Eren suggested. He hadn't yet talked to anyone about his parents will. That was the next thing on the list.

Levi lifted his body on top of Eren and looked at him.

"What time is it?" He wondered. Eren shrugged. His phone was still playing heavy rain.

Levi leaned into him, their lips touching gently. Eren hadn't yet experienced this tender side to Levi. Everything had always been so quick, urgent, and rough. But here, in the fort, it was dark, there was only the sound of the rain, he was so close. The blankets all around them kept them warm. Levi slowly disrobed, helping Eren as well. The soft blanket beneath them added an extra layer of comfort as Eren rolled over on top of him, combing his fingers through Levi's black hair. Levi lifted his knees on either side of Eren's waist as they kissed. He felt no hurry.

Eren slid his hand up Levi's thigh and back down again, relishing in the softness of his skin. Levi squeezed his legs together around him, tempting him to go further. The younger man groaned into his mouth, nipping playfully at his lips and tongue.

Nothing could have stopped him that night. Nothing could have pulled Eren away from him. His sultry smell and movements were ingrained in his memory forever. They stayed in the fort for the remainder of the night, tangled into knots around each other.

For the first time in years, Levi finally felt like he was at home, wrapped in the safety of love's warm embrace.

**The End**

**Thank you for reading my story! I have several ideas involving a sequel, however I plan on writing a tragedy story in between involving Levi and Eren as well called TOWER. So if you're interested, do give it a look! Please review, it makes me so happy!**

**Much loves;**

**Korugane **


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